


Kyber Heart - UNDER EDITING

by FandomGirl42



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Female Character, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, No Smut, Pansexual Poe Dameron, Pining, Poe Dameron Needs A Hug, Protective Poe Dameron, Romance, Slow Burn, Trauma Was Inevitable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:59:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 63
Words: 105,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25568617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomGirl42/pseuds/FandomGirl42
Summary: "The strongest stars have hearts of kyber."Nova Organa was well known in the Resistance, and the galaxy at large, for more reasons than one. She possessed her mother's attitude and resilience, and her father's flying skills and wit. This grabbed the attention of the "best pilot" of the Resistance.Poe Dameron.When a map to Luke Skywalker is found, the two friends are sent to retrieve it. But not all goes to plan, and Nova is forced to face things that haunted her nightmares, and truths she's been running from.(This book follows the sequel trilogy of Star Wars, so major spoilers ahead.)(I do not own anything to do with Star Wars. I only own my OCs.)
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

The silence of the hanger was almost eerie. There was no clattering of tools from the technicians, or chatter from the pilots. No orders were being called over the speakers. No engines were running or droids beeping.

Anyone who was still awake was stationed elsewhere – tending to the sick in the med bay or keeping things running smoothly from the command centre, listening for anything that could help or hinder them.

Everything was still.

However, everything was not dark.

A single beam of bright torch light shone through the shadows, bouncing off the sleeping ships and walls. It would move every now and then to a different ship, causing the beam to ricochet off to another corner of the room.

The source of the light could be traced back to the cockpit of an X-Wing, stationed off to the side of the inky hanger. The torch was held by a figure. Comfortably curled up in the seat, flicking the light around the room absentmindedly. Face covered by a hood, clouding their features in shadow.

The figure sighed heavily, pulling their hood down to reveal their brown hair, running their fingers through it to neaten it – though little effort was put into the action.

It was a young woman.

Somewhere in her late twenties – but the bags under her eyes and the shadows dancing across her face aged her, and made it hard to determine.

Her hand dropped from her hair, and this time she groaned, letting her head fall back to hit the leather seat.

Her brown eyes glanced around her surroundings aimlessly, unfocused. Nothing new to note. Nothing new to distract her. Even in the midnight shadows, the brightness of them could be seen. And the darkness too. Of stories hidden deep, left to be untold or forgotten.

To a stranger, they would have thought this woman was asleep with her eyes open. But to those that knew her, they would know that she was thinking. The kind of thoughts hard to explain, but easy to get lost in. While her eyes saw nothing, her brain worked overtime. Quickly creating disconnected ideas and just as quickly breaking them and moving on to something else. The only way to describe her mind in that moment, was a battlefield.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the opening of the door to the hanger, accompanied by boots on smooth stone.

Her mind came back to reality, pulling her hood back over her hair before looking at the source of her disturbance. She flicked the light of her torch over to the shadow approaching her, flashing it in their eyes to try to deter them.

"Whoa! Whoa! Easy Nova, I'd like it if you didn't blind me," they said, raising a hand to shield their eyes.

Nova huffed out a sigh and removed her hood again. "Oh, it's just you."

"Don't sound so pleased," they retorted.

She rolled her eyes, removing the beam of the torch from their face.

"Can I come up?"

She made no verbal response, but directed the light to the ladder propped against the ship.

They approached and climbed up to join her.

The person in question was a man.

A little bit older and taller than her. Skin a naturally darker tan in colour. Dark brown eyes, always deep with some emotion or another. Hair a mess of dark curls, often tousled from being kept beneath a helmet – or from his own handiwork.

His name: Poe Dameron.

He pulled himself into the cockpit beside Nova, letting her shift to a more comfortable position in his arms.

She sat across his lap, head resting against his shoulder.

It was not an uncommon or uncomfortable occurrence for the two. Years of undercover missions together had led to them having to share a bed or be in a confined space with one another more than once. And while there had of course been friction and distrust at first, common ground had been found and boundaries established.

That, and a few jokes from Poe to diffuse the tension – at least to some extent.

And at least once a week – if not more – Nova could be found in the hanger in the early hours, hooded and armed with a torch.

"What are you doing up? We're not due to leave for another hour," she asked, leaning to look him in the eyes.

"I wasn't about to let you suffer on your own," he said, beginning to play with her hair – something she had begrudgingly grown to appreciate.

"I woke you up, didn't I?"

"Nah, I couldn't sleep anyway," he shrugged kindly. "What was it this time?"

She paused for a second. "Devaron, I think... I don't know. It's all blurring together now..."

"Right," he nodded. "Anything I should know about?"

"No. Same old, same old. It's not so much a nightmare, more a memory you can't forget, no matter how hard you try," she sighed. "It hurts."

"I know. I would say we'll figure it out, but –"

"There's nothing to figure out," Nova finished.

"Yeah," he sighed, gently brushing her hair from her forehead. "I wish I could help you."

"You are. Just these talks are enough," she assured, fiddling with her sleeve, leaning further into his shoulder. The moment was one to savour – at least for her. Those days it was rare for her to feel and sense of comfort.

"Okay." The sentiment did not comfort him as much as Nova would have liked, but it was the truth.

Silence fell between the friends – for that was all they were at present.

Friends.

Poe had begun to weave sections of her hair together, a habit and skill he had picked up as a way of comforting her and distracting him.

Not many people got to see this side of Nova. Some people did not believe it existed. And she liked it that way. She did not need to trouble people with her scars or vulnerability.

Every member of the Resistance had their own burdens to bare – shared collectively with their comrades and co-pilots or otherwise.

She was no different.

Her body and mind started to relax simultaneously, letting her return to some version of normal and functionality.

"You should get some sleep. I know this is a simple, super-secret retrieval mission, but I still need my wing-woman on top form," Poe said, adjusting their position to coax Nova to leave the cockpit and return to the ground.

"Says you. What was that about you not sleeping before this?"

"I'm not the one we should be worried about."

"Poe, I'm okay," Nova assured, swinging herself over the side of her ship and down to the floor.

"Alright. I'll see you in an hour." He joined her on the ground.

"Yes, Commander," Nova smirked, giving him a mock salute.

"Sleep well, Captain," Poe said, returning the gesture with the same sass she'd given him.

"You don't salute me. I'm a lower rank," she laughed.

He rolled his eyes. "Doesn't mean I don't respect you."

"Doesn't seem like it with that attitude."

"Watch it," he lightly warned. "Right. Sleep. Go."

"Yes, sir." She turned to leave, but couldn't resist trying to have the last word in her now drowsy delirium. "I could still outfly you on half an hour's sleep."

"No you could not," he exclaimed.

"Wanna bet?"

"No."

"Come on."

"You're tired. You don't know what you're saying."

"If you say so," she shrugged. "If you ever wanna test it..."

"That's dangerous, even by my standards," Poe said.

Nova turned, raising an eyebrow. "Damn."

Poe rolled his eyes again. "Sleep, Captain."

She nodded, letting her cocky demeanour fade away into the shadows with a soft sigh. "Night, Poe."

He smiled softly. "Night, Nova."

\---

The soft sound of a single wind chime drew Nova's wary gaze. Her eyes carefully surveyed the spiritual village outside of the tent, before turning back to the conversation at hand.

Night covered the desert planet of Jakku – two silver moons hung far above the world, and with them came the cold. Fitting, for a such a barren and hopeless world. Sure, there was life and settlements, but little hope for anything better.

No one was there by a choice. Either they were hiding, or they were stuck with no means of escape.

The perfect meeting place for a secret transaction of crucial information, for either side. Except their enemies did not need to hide.

They were already too powerful for that.

The pilots sat before Lor San Tekka, a galactic explorer and currently, the man who could help turn the tide in favour of the Resistance. It was no over exaggeration – if he truly had what he had set out to find for them, everything was about to change.

For the Resistance, and for Nova.

"This will begin to make things right," San Tekka said, his voice grave and weary. From the pocket of his robe, he produced something contained in a small leather pouch which he placed in Poe's hand, guiding it to close around the item.

Poe looked up from his now closed hand, exchanging a brief loom with Nova, then turned back to their ally.

"I've travelled too far, and seen too much, to ignore the despair in the galaxy," San Tekka continued. "Without the Jedi, there can be no balance in the Force."

"Well, because of you now we have a chance," Poe said. "The General's been after this for a long time."

Nova nodded.

She knew more than most just how long Leia had been after that information – what it meant to her. What it could mean for the bigger picture.

"The General," San Tekka chuckled. "To me, she is royalty." He looked towards Nova this time, his tired eyes kind and knowing.

"She certainly is that," Poe smiled in agreement.

It was Nova's turn to laugh softly. "But she won't thank you if you call her Princess."

Before she could further elaborate, their conversation was interrupted by the entrance of BB-8, a small orange and white droid, beeping a frantic warning to his master.

Poe and Nova's eyes snapped to him, concern etched on their faces.

Nova was the first up, darting out of the tent and back outside after the spherical droid.

"We've got company," Poe said gravely, moving to quickly follow his two companions.

Nova had already brought her quadnocs up to her eyes to get a better look at what the droid had warned them about. What she saw made her stomach drop.

In the distance, but still far too close, First Order troop carriers were making their final decent outside of the small village. The lights of the ships shone bright and piercing in the night; all together menacing and dread-inducing for anyone who knew what to expect from them.

She lowered the quadnocs slowly, her expression cold as stone. She knew exactly what was coming, and who would undoubtedly follow knowing the information they had just received.

Everyone in that village was now a target – guilty or no.

"You have to hide," she said, turning back to San Tekka as he exited the tent with Poe, the pair watching her closely.

"You have to leave," the explorer corrected. "Go!"

Poe turned to look at his companion, conflict covering his face. He too knew what was coming, and he hated to leave people defenceless against it. But at the same time, he knew that if they did not leave, they could jeopardise their whole mission.

Nova made the hard call for him. With a final, sorrowful nod to San Tekka, she turned and started running back through the village.

With a heavy heart, Poe was not far behind her, looking back every now and then to check BB-8 was keeping pace with them.


	2. Chapter 2

The trio sprinted across the sand; boots often struggling to find any grip on the less than stable surface.

All around them, the village was preparing for battle. Readying what weapons they had and finding all the hope and strength to fight that they could. It was a commendable effort, but in the bottom of her heart Nova knew it was futile – delaying the inevitable.

But she also knew – or at least imagined – that going out fighting loudly and fiercely for something you believed in was better than waiting for someone else to determine your end. She just hoped those around her, the people of the village, would be able to find peace.

Nova reached her X-Wing first, kicking the ladder away once she had pulled herself up in her hurry. She did not even wait to seat herself comfortably before she set about priming the ship for take-off. Above her, the canopy sealed shut smoothly, locking her in as she pulled on her helmet.

Poe had followed suit beside her, and BB-8 took his place in the droid socket of his master’s X-Wing.

While both pilots excelled under pressure, this time they unfortunately were not quick enough.

Before either could get their ship in the air, they were showered with blaster fire from behind. Being unprepared for such an attack, the shields had not been up to take the heat of the damage, leading to the frying of their systems.

Nova’s console sparked at her almost tauntingly as the alarm signalling her rear engines had sustained critical damage blared throughout the cockpit.

Canopy opened once more, the young woman climbed out onto the wing of her ship, pulling her blaster from its place on her thigh. It took her no time at all to spot the storm troopers who had dealt the blow to her ship, and she made quick work of shooting them in the chest, the blasts leaving a black scorch in the centre of their white chest plates.

"We're in trouble," she muttered bitterly to herself, dropping down off her ship.

Poe and BB-8 had already made it to the back of their ship, where they were greeted with only flames and smoke.

“Next move?” Poe looked between the village and his companions, becoming increasingly more desperate.

Nova chewed the inside of her cheek, fingers flexing around her weapon. She only saw one option that left them with any hope. “We fight.”

Poe agreed with a reluctant nod. Then, with shaking fingers, he retrieved the artefact from his pocket, kneeling to BB-8’s level. “You take this. It’s safer with you than it is with me. You get as far away from here as you can. Any direction,” he ordered. “Do you hear me?”

The droid opened his multi-reader obediently, allowing his master to deposit the item. He beeped uncertainly, looking between his masters, like a child looking to their parents.

“He’s right, buddy,” Nova said, keeping her eyes on the village as it descended further into chaos. “We can’t afford to lose this.”

Another trooper tried to approach, but she shot them in the chest before they could even think to counter.

"I'll come back for you!" Poe assured, standing back to his full height. “It’ll be alright!”

Once again, Nova was a few strides ahead of him as they ran back to the fray.

Together they found refuge behind a dune, blasters primed for battle.

No transaction of words was needed as they began the process of taking out troopers. Years of earned trust and combat missions on full display.

The scene before them could only be described as mayhem. What was once quiet and peaceful was now loud and disordered. Most of the villagers were dead if not left to die, while the rest were being corralled by troopers to the centre of the village.

Any structure in sight had been set ablaze. Trails of black smoke reached up to the sky like desperate hands. The scent was one that clung to clothes and skin and lungs.

The low rumble of engines drew the pilots’ attention away from the massacre and to the dark sky, where an even darker shuttle was descending. It was an Upsilon-class shuttle – long wings extending up and out in an uninviting fashion, coloured entirely in black. As it landed, the wings moved to a completely upright position, as if standing to attention.

Nova’s skin began to crawl as she felt the presence – one she knew all too well. The oncoming rage and darkness. It struck fear and anger into her own heart.

She knew what was coming. Perhaps better than anyone.

The ramp dropped, revealing a figure, flanked by a small escort of stormtroopers. The figure was tall and broad, draped in all black. A mask covered their face in the likeness of a villain of old – a sick tribute.

They strode towards Lor San Tekka, silent until they reached it. When they did speak, though the voice was distorted by the mask, it was undeniably masculine, and dripping with contempt. “Look how old you’ve become.”

San Tekka levelled his gaze at the dark figure, standing his ground. “Something far worse has happened to you.”

"You know what I've come for.”

"I know where you come from, before you called yourself Kylo Ren.”

"The map to Skywalker. We know you've found it,” Ren growled. “And now you're going to give it to the First Order.” It was not a command, but rather a statement.

"The First Order rose from the dark side. You did not," the explorer continued, unmoved.

"I'll show you the dark side," Ren threatened.

"You may try, but you cannot deny the truth that is your family."

Nova felt herself recoil at his words. They had cut deep – deeper than she would care to admit.

"You're so right," Ren said, followed by a familiar but far more brutal hum of a lightsaber.

It ignited, the blade red and jagged, reflecting the unhinged individual that owned it – the core crystal, once pure, had been cracked long ago. And in one swift blow, Lor San Tekka’s body crumpled to the floor, dead.

Poe’s body moved on instinct, adrenaline spiking throughout his chest. He charged out, revealing their hiding place, no real plan of engagement. Just a blaster rifle in his hands and pure instinct.

Nova drew her weapon in response to his actions, quickly following him in a futile attempt to stop him. No words were able to escape her throat before her companion stopped, raised his rifle, and fired off a single shot right at Kylo Ren.

But Ren was faster.

He turned, stretching his hand out towards them, freezing the two pilots and the blue bolt of energy in place.

The feeling of being ensnared by a strange and invisible force left Poe struggling against it, and Nova feeling sick to her stomach. They were helpless animals, caught in a hunter’s snare.

And his hounds were closing in to retrieve them.

The party of four stormtroopers split into two sets of two, with one set moving to apprehend a pilot each.

Nova resisted when her arms were unceremoniously grabbed, pulling herself free until she found she was still unable to coax any response from her frozen muscles. She staggered forward, only to be once again caught by the troopers, who proceeded to drag her the rest of the way to the feet of their master.

Compared to Poe, it seemed she had got off lightly. He had been unfortunate enough to receive a hard punch to the stomach, causing him to drop his blaster before he was dragged away, just as limp as her.

Once they were before the dark lord, they were shoved to the ground one after the other with a sharp kick to the back of their knees, eliciting groans of pain from them both.

Ren glowered down at them from behind his mask, crouching down to their level like an adult to disobedient children, trying to get them to understand their faults. He looked between his prey, silently analysing them.

Nova kept her eyes on the sand, feeling belittled under the man’s glare.

Time had not dissipated her hate.

Poe finally broke the tense silence with his usual bravado. "So, who talks first? You talk first? We talk first?"

His confidence both pained and reassured Nova. It was something familiar and comforting in the face of past darkness, but also insanely dangerous.

"The old man gave it to you," Ren mused, continuing to scrutinize them. Particularly their clothing – their jackets indicative of their status. “Resistance pilots by the looks of them.”

"It's just – it’s very hard to understand you,” Poe continued, waving his hand in reference to the mask. “With all the –”

“Search them.”

"– apparatus," Poe finished as he was dragged back to his feet for a thorough and none too gentle pat down. He kept a glare levelled at Ren throughout the process.

Beside him, Nova too was pulled upright for her own search. She took it with a clenched jaw, looking up at the sky, waiting for it to be over. That was until the trooper searching her reached her chest – he was both far too comfortable and far too rough, earning him a kick to the shin from Nova.

She continued to fight against them, until her legs were kicked out from under her again.

"Hey!” Poe snapped, pulling to break free himself. He looked about ready to punch the offending trooper in the face, helmet or no. “Get your hands off her!”

“Poe, leave it!” she implored, her eyes begging him to back down for his own sake.

“Nothing on either of them, sir,” the trooper reported once his fellow men had the pilots back under control.

"Put them on board," Ren ordered. He would see to it they were dealt with appropriately. Later.

Together this time, the pilots were dragged away towards one of the troop carriers.

Behind them, murmurs of fear and weapons being primed turned to screams that were quickly extinguished and drowned out by blaster fire.

Nova squeezed her eyes shut against it. Her hands became fists at her sides. She barely flinched when one of the stormtroopers escorting her shoved her shoulder to get her to keep moving.

She bumped against Poe as they made it inside, whereupon he caught her wrist, giving it a quick squeeze before he was forced to let go.

The ramp closed in front of them, sealing their fate as prisoners of the First Order.


	3. Chapter 3

The hanger of the First Order Star Destroyer known as the Finalizer was bigger than any Nova remembered seeing. It paled in comparison to any hanger the Resistance had – on the ground or on a flagship.

It was large, cold, and uninviting. Everything looked far too pristine. TIE fighters lined the walls, stationed securely until their pilots would have need of them.

Squadrons of stormtroopers milled about with purpose, their striking white armour for once not looking out of place in their surroundings.

Nova dropped her gaze once more as she and Poe were taken down corridors finished in black rather than white or metallic grey – but just as uninviting.

Interestingly enough, she and Poe were put into a cell together. There, they were roughly manoeuvred and shackled into two identical interrogation chairs, facing one another.

There was undoubtably a sick and twisted reason for that.

Once secured, they were left alone with nothing but the darkness and each other for company.

A deep, agitated sigh came from Nova’s lips, and she allowed her head to loll backwards. There was no comfortable position for it to rest against the metal of the chair, but she did not care.

She had been in far more uncomfortable positions.

"You okay?"

She found the energy to lift her head again, raising an eyebrow at Poe through the darkness. “Seriously?”

Poe chuckled, casting his eyes up to the ceiling – just as dark as the walls and the floor. “You know what I mean.”

“I do,” she muttered. She knew exactly what he had meant.

Silence fell, and with it came the first inklings of helplessness.

“Why’d you come with me?”

“Hmm?”

“Why’d you come with me?” Poe repeated. “I get how important this is to you. Trust me, I do. But it was a one-man job. I would have been fine on my own. I knew the risks and what I could end up in way back when we started this.”

“You think I didn’t?” she fired back, indignant. “And that’s not why I asked to come.”

“Then why? Please, just tell me.”

Nova sighed again. “I came because of those risks. I actually have some idea of what to expect from this, and how to deal with it. I wasn’t about to let you go in blind and alone. This mission should have been mine in the first place.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes.”

An uncomfortable tension came with the silence this time – the sort so thick it was almost tangible.

“I’m sorry,” Nova muttered shortly. If they really were to be stuck there, to be tortured until death or worse, she would rather they were not angry at each other.

Poe offered a half-smile, doing his best to create some comfort. But it was of little use to either of them. “You know we’re on our own now, right? We’re beyond reach?”

She nodded. “I know.”

\---

The torture lasted for hours without respite.

Nova had been able to withstand the first hour or so, even managing a few snide remarks. Until the questions became fewer, and the voltage was turned up. After that, all she could get out were strangled screams. She did her best to hold them down – die silent to deprive them of satisfaction and all that – but there was only so much her body could handle.

Poe too had been shouting – begging them to stop as having to watch, utterly helpless and powerless, became too much for him to bare. His efforts garnered him a sizeable gash to his left temple after being released from his restraints, only to be slammed into the wall in an attempt to shut him up.

An attempt that only made him angrier and earned Nova a punch to the face for her pleas.

They tortured her until she was close to unconsciousness, before releasing her from the chair.

Body limp, she collapsed to the floor, blood trickling from her mouth. Her world soon faded to black, her ears still ringing as Poe started to scream.

It took another couple of hours before she woke again, every muscle feeling like it was on fire. She had been strapped back into the chair, a fact she was grateful for only because it kept her upright.

The blood from her mouth had leaked and dried on her chin to compliment her split lip and black eye.

As she adjusted to the light, her gaze fell upon Kylo Ren; crouched before her in the shadows. Watching her.

"What do you want?" she muttered, willing her head to stop spinning long enough to deal with her next problem.

“To congratulate you,” Ren said. He almost sounded impressed, but that could not be right. It had never been in his nature to be impressed with her. “You held up well. Perhaps I misjudged you.”

“I’m full of surprises,” she snarked.

Ren made no move.

Nova took the opportunity to look past him to Poe, finding him unconscious and even worse for wear than herself. But upon a careful inspection, she could just about see the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, even though it was a little staggered.

He was still alive.

Ren turned, following her gaze. “Your heart betrays you, little sister.”

Her jaw clenched at the name. “At least I have one.” It was childish, but she could not bring herself to care. He was hardly above it himself.

He stood; his stride heavy as he slowly approached. “I don’t wish to hurt you.”

Nova managed a scoff despite her aching ribs. “You’re too late for that, brother.”

“I know you’ll never betray the location of the map. But him.” He turned back to look at Poe. “It wouldn’t take much.”

“He’s held up this far, hasn’t he?”

“Screaming for them to leave you the whole time. I wouldn’t even have to touch him. Just you…”

“You underestimate him. He’s not so stupid as to give up that information, even for my sake.”

“I think you underestimate him,” Ren mused. “Of course, you could help him avoid all that heartache by simply cooperating.”

“No.”

Ren’s patience had run out.

He raised a gloved hand, inches from Nova’s face as he began to search through her mind. A process that was none too pleasant for the victim to say the least.

Nova threw herself against her restraints in a challenge, glaring up to where she knew his eyes to be behind the mask. If he thought he was not in for a fight, he was sorely mistaken.

Summoning all her strength, she buried any thoughts of her mission deep below the surface, sealing it behind high walls. Walls of memories from years of exile, all because of him.

Ren was unbothered, continuing to push further through her defences, finding happier memories. Of missions accomplished. Shared laughter and drinks with her fellow pilots. New bonds formed, not quite family, but the closest she would allow herself to have.

And Poe. Every moment they had shared pulled to the front of her mind, even the ones she had willed herself to forget and ignore because it was too uncertain. Too dangerous. And yet, despite all her efforts, she had still failed to protect him.

A nerve had been struck touching those thoughts.

She could feel it flowing through her, fuelled by her anger. Stronger than she had ever felt it before. Ordinarily it would have scared her, but there was no time for that.

Her hands became fists in her restraints, and with an anguished scream, she finally freed her mind from his intrusive hold.

Energy spent; her brown eyes fell closed once more; dead to the world.

\---

Poe’s first thought upon waking up was that everything hurt.

Every breath he took was an insult to his aching ribs, that seemed to take it very personally. Most likely at least one of them had been cracked it the process of his beatings.

He had stopped bleeding at least – the blood from his head injury still drying down the side of his face.

He blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the low light and stop his thoughts from spinning. Everything had started to blur together in his mind, leaving him unsure where one thought ended and another began.

And Maker, was he tired.

His period of adjustment was short lived as the other presence in the room made himself known.

"I had no idea we had the best pilot in the Resistance on board," Ren said. The title, one that Poe often not-so-secretly enjoyed, had never sounded so condescending before. "Comfortable?"

“Not really.” Poe leaned forward in his restraints. “The accommodations leave something to be desired.”

The dark lord ignored the sarcasm. “I’m impressed. No one has been able to get out of you what you did with the map.”

"Might wanna rethink your technique," Poe responded dryly.

Ren said nothing this time. Instead, he stepped aside to reveal Poe’s beaten and bloodied wing-woman.

The sight hurt Poe to his very core.

Nova’s head lolled forward; chin almost tucked entirely into her neck. Her hair hung over her face, obscuring it from his view. He dreaded to think how many cuts and bruises now stained her fair skin.

"You should be proud,” Ren said. “She put up quite the fight. And had a lot of faith in you. It would be a shame if you disappointed her, wouldn’t it?”

Poe forced himself to look away, bringing his full attention back to Kylo Ren.

Once more, the dark lord raised his hand, forcing his way inside Poe’s head.

The only word Poe could find to describe the sensation was pure agony. Worse than any pain he could remember feeling. He did his best to grit his teeth against it, but before long it was too much for him to bare.

"Where is it?" Ren spat beneath his mask mercilessly.

"The Resistance…” Poe struggled to get the words out, his breathing strained and chest feeling tight, “will not be intimidated by you.”

Ren doubled his efforts, digging further and further until Poe’s mind could no longer put up a fight, leaving him exposed. And the dark lord dug through them without a care in the world as to how private they were.

"Where... is it?" he repeated, his voice a demanding growl.

All Poe could do was scream.


	4. Chapter 4

Nova reawakened after another hour, throwing herself against her restraints once again, paired with a few choice curses directed at the ceiling.

From across the room, Poe too groaned to life, her curses ringing in his ears. “Nova…”

“Poe!” The strain in his voice had her concerned in an instant. “Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry… he knows where the map is, Nova. I failed. I couldn’t…”

Her heart sank hearing him beat himself up over it. She knew he could never have withstood that. Deep down she wondered if she should have given in to begin with. “Poe, listen to me,” she begged. “It’s not your fault, all right?”

“Quiet!” the stormtrooper left to guard them cut in, though he did not sound invested in his demand.

Nova ignored him. “He was going to find it either way. No one could withstand that, I just… delayed the inevitable.”

The loud whoosh of their cell door opening cut their conversation off. Raising their heads as much as their aching bodies would allow, they saw it was simply another stormtrooper – perhaps there to take over guard duty. However, their words to their fellow trooper came as a surprise.

“Ren wants the prisoners.”

“I wasn’t told to expect you.”

The newcomer’s voice – undeniably male – darkened. “Do you dare to question his orders?”

“No. No! Of course not!” with shaking hands, he released them from their chairs. “You sure you can handle them alone?”

The first trooper looked between the exhausted pilots. “They don’t look like they could put up much of a fight.”

“All the same,” said the second. “Keep your blaster on her. Should give him enough incentive not to try anything.”

Nova grumbled as she was cuffed and handed over, glaring at the new trooper as he held his blaster to her ribs. She offered Poe a tight smile as he too was cuffed, and together, they were led back out into the halls of the Finalizer.

They were not walking for long.

“Turn here,” the trooper said gruffly, dragging the two pilots aside into a narrow, dimly lit corridor. He did not wait for them to steady themselves before he was speaking again in a low, sharp voice. “Listen carefully; you do exactly as I say, I can get you out.”

"If – what?" Poe said, his tired mind struggling to keep pace. He was unsure if he was even hearing properly anymore.

The trooper pulled off his helmet to reveal a young man. Umber coloured skin, buzzed hair, dark brown eyes, full of a surprising innocence. He looked desperately between his two ‘prisoners’, though that title seemed ill fitting now under the change of circumstance.

"This is a rescue,” he said. “I'm helping you escape. Can you fly a TIE fighter?"

Poe and Nova exchanged a quick, hesitant glance.

“You with the Resistance?” It was the only question Poe could think to ask. Not even he knew the full extent of his general’s contacts – in his eyes at that moment, it was not out of the question to have people undercover in the order as stormtroopers.

"What? That’s crazy!" he said, the idea rightfully seeming insane to him. "How long do you think someone with Resistance sympathies could last in here? No! I'm just breaking you out. Can either of you fly a TIE fighter?"

"We can fly anything," Poe cut in, eliciting a smile from their saviour.

Nova however was still sceptical. “Why… why are you helping us?”

The trooper’s expression grew serious. “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

She went quiet, watching him. She did not quite buy his answer – there was something else there. But, if something had brought them together, and it potentially insured their escape, she was not about to throw it away.

“You need a pilot,” Poe stated.

"I need a pilot,” he agreed.

“Okay,” Nova nodded. “We’re gonna do this.”

It was absolutely insane, but they were doing it.

\---

As they were guided across the hanger of the Finalizer, Poe and Nova kept their heads low. They had been put under strict instruction ‘act as if you’re being sent to your doom’.

No one had bothered to question them because it was an unbelievable set of events. Stormtroopers did not defect, and prisoners did not escape.

"Okay, stay calm, stay calm," their trooper muttered from behind.

"We are calm," Poe said through gritted teeth, resolutely keeping his gaze locked on his boots.

"I was talking to myself," the trooper admitted sharply. "And how do you know she's calm?"

"I've flown and worked with her for two years, I think I'd know," Poe fired back, unnecessarily defensive.

"Poe," Nova chided.

"Okay, go. This way," the trooper hissed, nudging the pair to follow him over to the far wall lined with TIE fighters.

The ships were unguarded and – at least from the outside – looked to be in perfect working order. That was promising.

Nova felt a shiver run down her spine when her cuffs were finally removed. She had never really considered piloting an enemy ship, no matter how desperate she got, but she had to admit it was a little exciting.

She made a beeline for a fighter alone, while Poe and the trooper headed for a separate ship.

Settling herself into the pilot’s chair, Nova was faced with the challenge of figuring out how the damn thing operated. Of course, she knew the basics, having studied them for the event of an emergency, but her knowledge still had numerous gaps. But with her experience of many a Resistance starfighter, she could infer a great deal and hope for the best.

Her first port of call was to get the engines online – a simple enough task. They came to life beneath her with an oddly satisfying groan.

She let out a small laugh of victory. So far so good.

The comms crackled, signalling someone wished to make contact. A quick toggle of the switches, and Poe’s voice came through.

“You got me Nova?”

“I got you,” she murmured, feeling like normality was starting to resume. “Who’d have thought we’d be doing this, huh?”

Poe chuckled. “You ready for this?”

“No.”

“Me too.”

The TIE fighter rose, and for a second it looked to be smooth sailing. Until the cable keeping it tethered to the deck pulled taut, causing the ship to lurch backwards. At a guess, the second fighter would also be tethered.

“I can fix this!” Poe yelled. He continued to pull against the cable, but with little success.

Nova grumbled as she looked for the controls to disconnect her own leash. “Come on, come on!”

Below them, stormtroopers had begun to set up heavier weapons, while others covered them with a barrage of blaster fire. They did little damage to the fighters and posed mostly as a minor inconvenience.

Nova flinched at the sound of TIE fighter weaponry firing; the green light glaringly bright so close to her face. It seemed their new companion had figured out the gun controls.

“I got it!” Poe announced triumphantly, breaking free of his restraints almost simultaneous with Nova, and together, the ships tore out into space.

"Woooahh! This thing really moves!" He yelled, perhaps with a little too much excitement.

He was not wrong. The ship was sensitive to any input – quick to turn and surprisingly smooth in doing so. Still, it was no T-70 X-Wing.

“Glad you’re enjoying yourself,” Nova cut in through gritted teeth, “but can we focus!”

“Right,” he agreed, recovering his head. “We’ve gotta take out those cannons, or we’re not gonna get very far!”

“Alright,” the trooper muttered breathlessly.

“I’m gonna get us in position, just stay sharp! Nova, reckon you can keep ‘em occupied?”

“As long as you can have my back.”

“That’s my girl!”

Flying seemed to have revived some hope and cheer within the pilots – though it was most likely adrenaline doing the talking. Their bodies still ached, and their minds still reeled from the unwarranted intrusion.

Nova kept close to the belly of the Finalizer, weaving through the assault of fire she drew. ‘Thank the force for my reflexes,’ she thought, making one too many close calls in her task.

"Up ahead! Up ahead! You see it?" Poe called to his gunner. "I've got us dead centred. It's a clean shot."

"Okay, got it.”

A tense silence and then whoops of joy from the men as the cannon was set alight, exploding in a burst of flames.

"Did you see that?" the trooper yelled. “DID YOU SEE THAT?”

"I saw it!" Poe responded, sounding equally as pleased. Again, things were starting to feel normal. "Hey, what's your name?"

In the heat of the moment, it had not occurred to him or Nova to ask.

"FN-2187,” he responded.

"FN – what?"

"That's the only name they ever gave me."

Nova frowned. She should not have expected anything else from the First Order – assigning a string of numbers to their troops to dehumanise them further; show how expendable they really were.

"Well I ain't using it!" Poe decided. “FN, huh? Finn. I'm gonna call you Finn! That all right?"

“Finn,” he repeated thoughtfully. “Finn! Yeah, I like that!”

“I’m Poe. Poe Dameron. And that,” he paused – Nova imagined he was pointing in her general direction from his cockpit, “is Nova Organa.”

"Good to meet you guys!" Finn said.

“Good to meet you too, Finn!” Nova did not miss a beat.

The fighters weaved through and around the destruction they wrought, pulling out every trick they could pull off in an unfamiliar ship to throw off the cannon’s predictors. The debris provided temporary cover, but it would not last.

Nova’s radar had picked something up – several projectiles approaching, most likely from ventral cannons. “Poe, we’ve got incoming.”

"I know!" he called back, before addressing Finn. "Something's coming towards you, My right, your left. Do you see it?"

"Hold on!” A pause, and then Finn opened fire. “I see it!”

A moment later and the missile was knocked out of the sky, shot into a thousand pieces.

"Nice shot," Nova commended.

Circling around, the fighters began to chart a decent back to the desert planet below. They could not leave without that map – and more importantly BB-8 – not when the First Order knew where to find him.

"Where are we going?" Finn demanded, panic setting in.

"We're going back to Jakku, that's where," Poe replied.

"No, no, no! We can't go back to Jakku!” he protested. “We need to get out of this system!"

"I gotta get my droid before the First Order does!"

"What – a droid?"

"That's right. He's a BB unit! Orange and white, one of a kind," the pilot elaborated – though the vague information he gave did not help his case.

"I don't care what colour he is! No droid can be that important!"

"This one is, pal!”

"We need to get as far away from the First Order as we can! We go back to Jakku, we die!"

“That droid has a map that leads straight to Luke Skywalker,” Nova cut in without thinking. That information was supposed to be classified, but needs must in a life and death situation.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me –!”

Before the argument could continue, one fighter was sent careening into another. Another missile had caught them off guard. Regaining control of the ships looked to be impossible; it was all happening too fast.

The engines groaned uncomfortably as the fighters spiralled downwards, back to the desert planet of Jakku.


	5. Chapter 5

Surprisingly, Nova’s crash on Jakku could not be labelled as the worst landing she had made in her piloting career – that spot was still firmly held by the incident on Onderon with Karé after a run in with some particularly brutal First Order agents.

She had managed to break free of the ship before impact, but had cut it very fine. The body of her stolen TIE fighter lay a quarter of a mile south of where she currently rested. Other parts had broken off during the decent, and one unidentifiable part now held her leg hostage.

It did not feel like a break, but her drifting state made it hard to tell.

The sun beat down on her, hitting her face as she tried to open her eyes. She raised an arm to shield her eyes, groaning as her muscles objected. All she could feel was discomfort – there was sand in her hair and her boots, and something persistently pushing itself against her shoulder.

Only then did things start to come back to her: exactly why she had crashed a First Order TIE fighter, her escape with Poe and a now ex-stormtrooper, her imprisonment and torture.

She had no idea what had happened to her comrades in the crash – comms had been one of the first systems knocked offline. But she had faith in Poe’s survival skills. Despite evidence to the contrary, he was a smart man.

She was sure he would be fine.

The prodding at her shoulder became more persistent, as did the beeping that came to accompany it.

Finally, she turned, detaching herself from her pilot’s chair to fall fully onto the sand. Her throat emitted another groan. Raising her head, she was shocked to come face to face with an orange and white BB unit, leaning to look at her with concern – at least what could be read into as concern.

“Beebee-Ate! Thank the force, you’re still intact!” she gasped in relief.

The small droid circled her like a Loth-cat, beeping rapidly.

“Woah, woah. Slow down.”

“Hey! You okay?”

The new voice made Nova jump, falling back onto her elbows. Reflexively she reached for her blaster, but found her holster empty, her weapon having been confiscated upon her capture. She was completely at this newcomer’s mercy.

The person in question was a girl; tall and lean, dressed in clothes indicative of a scavenger. She was young, younger than Nova at least, her face still holding a certain innocence despite her circumstances.

She was not unlike Nova in appearance. Fair skin, brown eyes, brown hair tied up securely into three buns down the back of her head.

A quarterstaff was slung over her shoulder.

Nova forced herself to stand, visibly wincing at the pain it brought on. Eventually, she knew she could make it manageable, but her body was still waking up. She had no idea how long she had been out – it looked to be the middle of the day, but she did not know what time it had been when she crashed. It was doubtful she had lost more than a day.

BB-8 stayed beside her ankles, beeping an assurance of the newcomer’s friendliness.

Nova looked between them with an uncertain frown – she would need to make her own judgements before easing up even a little.

But she seemed safe enough.

“The droid recognised you,” the newcomer noted – she spoke with an accent Nova did not often hear, at least not on her side of the war. “Is he yours? He said he was with his masters before whatever happened… happened.”

“He’s my friend’s,” Nova answered shortly. “But yes, he’s with me.”

The girl frowned, waiting for her to elaborate.

“We were here on… business,” she answered carefully.

“What business could you have on a planet like this?”

“That’s need to know only.”

“Are you with the Resistance?”

Her forwardness was caught Nova off guard. She barely expected people to be aware of the cause this far out in the Western Reaches. And if they were aware, they were rarely friendly towards them.

“That depends,” was her well-trained, diplomatic response.

“Beebee-Ate said he’s on a secret mission. And you don’t look like First Order.”

“Looks can be misleading,” she countered. “But, you’re right.”

If BB-8 had told her and was still intact with the information, Nova had little reason not to trust this girl. And if it turned out she turned on her, Nova was highly capable of putting up a fight.

“I’m Rey,” she said, hoping the introduction would ease the hostility.

“Nova.”

Rey smiled softly in appreciation. “I found him last night,” she nodded towards BB-8. “Haven’t been able to get rid of him.”

Nova smirked knowingly. “Guess he thinks you’re trustworthy then.”

“And you?”

“There any reason I shouldn’t?”

Rey went quiet, one hand fiddling with the strap of her quarterstaff. “Look, I can take you to Niima Outpost. If you’ve got credits you could try and get a ride out of here to wherever you need to get to.”

Nova nodded. “I can figure something out.”

She took a stumbling step, her leg threatening to give out under her weight entirely. She groaned, managing to catch herself on a piece of the debris before her knees could collide with the ground.

Rey came to her side, letting the older woman rest some of her weight on her as she helped her to her speeder parked close by. “Come on, it’s not too far.”

\---

Niima Outpost did not defy expectations. In fact, it just about fulfilled every expectation Nova had for an outpost on a world such as Jakku.

It was a sizeable establishment, made up mostly of stable tent-like structures, much like those in the village she had been in barely two days prior. But these were not homes. This was not an outpost that many – if any – people lived in. Its sole purpose was for trade, and not trade for much.

A few ships were just about visible on the far side. They looked to be in useable condition, but barely touched. Obviously no one could afford it.

It seemed Jakku was not a planet easily left.

Nova did not exactly blend in well with the other patrons, and neither did BB-8 for that matter, but little attention was paid to them. All they were to them was a couple of new unfortunates.

The pain in her leg had started to become manageable by the time the speeder stopped outside the outpost’s limits.

BB-8 was first off, hitting the ground with a ringing thud. Rey followed, steadying Nova as she was the last to disembark.

“This friend of yours…” the scavenger began carefully. “Were they with you too?”

Nova nodded. She had hoped to not think too much of Poe, as doing so made her anxious and hindered her ability to focus. She told herself it was irrational; there was no need to worry about Poe.

But despite her efforts, doubt was still clawing at the back of her mind.

“Do you know where they are?”

She shook her head. “We were on different ships. Everything, the escape, was happening so fast. I don’t know where his fighter would have come down.”

“Escape?”

“I don’t steal First Order TIE fighters for fun,” she quipped before going on to explain. “We were captured.”

“I didn’t think people escaped the First Order.”

“They don’t usually survive long enough to.”

BB-8 beeped anxiously, butting into Nova’s leg to seek reassurance.

“He’ll be fine,” she said. It could have sounded more convincing.

Rey nodded, making the decision to keep anymore questions to herself. While she had somewhat broken through with the new woman, she knew she had touched a nerve.

They continued their walk through the outpost in silence.

Nova was more than content to keep to herself, trying to concoct a plan for her next move. There was little hope of being able to legally acquire a ship, so her next best bet would be to try and find a way of getting a signal back to base.

BB-8’s tracking system had been knocked out prior to the mission, and Poe had not had the foresight to repair it; there was no way of tracing them back to any specific location.

As far as the Resistance knew, she was dead to the galaxy.

Not exactly a new sensation for the sister of the newest apprentice of darkness.

Before Rey could query her strange companions any further, they were interrupted. Two unsavoury-looking individuals had approached them – covered head to toe in dark desert clothing and speaking in a dialect Nova could not place.

She did not need to know it to understand their intentions as aggressive.

Rey wheeled on the one who had spoken in indignation, having understood the details of what had been said. Almost as soon as she had turned, the second thug pulled a sack over BB-8, leading to many distressed beeps from the droid.

The first grabbed Nova; an action that garnered him her elbow to his face. He was forced to relinquish his grasp, but retaliated with a kick to her right leg.

She went down like a lead balloon with a cry, knees slamming into the sand. The pain from the crash returning to a nearly blinding degree.

Rey had started by kicking the second thug, knocking him back into some nearby urns. The first then wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ground. She wriggled to get free, biting into his exposed wrist until he was once again forced to let go.

Nova did her best to assist her ally, using her unharmed leg to send a kick to their attacker’s knee. He did not fall, but the hit was enough to knock him off balance.

Rey was then able to get a hold of her quarterstaff, using it to land blow after blow on the two thugs. And soon enough, she had them on the ground, knocked out cold.

“You all right?” she asked, holding out her hand to Nova.

The older woman accepted, groaning as she was pulled to her feet. “Yeah. Thanks.”

Rey smiled. “No problem.”

A series of scared and irritated beeps came from the sack.

Rey quickly removed the sack from BB-8, revealing the little droid to be a little shaken up from the whole ordeal.

Nova crouched down to his level, resting her hand on the dome of his head comfortingly. His protocols gave him a nervous and skittish disposition as it was, and being in a strange and desolate place separated from his master and closest friend was not helping.

He looked around nervously, then froze, becoming alert and beeping hurriedly.

The women frowned and followed his gaze, finding a man to be watching them from a distance.

He looked familiar to Nova, but the way her head was still spinning made him difficult to properly place. But one thing about his appearance was not.

The jacket. Poe’s jacket. Except it was not Poe.

She frowned, wracking her brain for the answer.

Rey did not wait, jumping into action immediately. Picking up her staff, she sprinted right for him, causing him to back up and make a hasty retreat. Rey gave chase.

Nova followed with BB-8, pushing aside her own discomfort as she pushed her body to carry her forward through the maze of tents and scavengers.

Something was wrong about this, and she needed to know exactly what it was.


	6. Chapter 6

Rey had already knocked the man to the floor by the time Nova and BB-8 caught up. She stood above him; quarterstaff held tightly, ready to strike again if needed. “What’s your hurry, thief?” she spat.

“What! Thief?” he exclaimed, the accusation leaving him astounded.

BB-8 rolled over to his side, opening one of his panels to produce a small device. This device then administered a sharp shock to the man, to which he loudly protested.

"The jacket!" Rey said. "The droid says you stole it!"

"I've had a pretty messed up day, alright? So I'd appreciate if you’d stop accusing me –" he was cut off by another zap from BB-8. “Ow! Stop it!”

"Beebee-Ate, leave him,” Nova said firmly.

The droid complied, backing off to rest behind her ankles, though he continued to glare – as well as a droid could – at the stranger.

"Where'd you get it?" Rey continued. "It belongs to his master."

He looked between the group, his gaze catching on BB-8 as he properly looked at the droid. His mind seemingly putting two and two together in relation to something.

With a sigh of realisation, his expression became grave. “It belonged to Poe Dameron. That was his name, right?”

BB-8 backed up again, looking to Nova for an explanation she was struggling to give.

"He was captured by the First Order,” he explained. “I helped him and his friend escape, but our ships crashed.”

“You?” Nova said, stepping closer. Everything had come together in her mind, the distorted memories becoming clear.

The man before them was Finn, the rogue stormtrooper.

“Me?” he asked, frowning nervously.

“You’re the one who broke us out.”

“You?”

Nova nodded, her heart beginning to race. If Finn made it relatively unharmed, Poe had to have too. “What happened?”

Finn’s face fell. “Poe didn’t make it.”

Nova’s heart sank.

She felt like she was falling, like gravity was pulling her down and down to the core of the maker-forsaken planet and would never stop. She was unsure if she would want it to stop.

Poe had been so much more than a friend to her. He was the person who knew her better than anyone – knew the evils of her past she would never utter to anyone else. She trusted him with her life, and he trusted her just as much. Despite everything, all her wrongdoings, he had shown her nothing but kindness. Given her the chance she had never expected in a million years.

BB-8 hung his head with a low, mournful beep for his master – his friend.

“Look, I tried to help him, and I’m sorry.”

The droid rolled away in silence, disappearing around the corner.

Nova clutched at the chain around her neck, fingers running over the pendant that hung from it.

Poe could not be dead. She would have felt it. At least she had always thought she would.

Rey too had fallen silent, feeling the despair of her companions, for it was close to palpable. She placed a hand on Nova’s arm in comfort, an effort that earned her a watery smile of gratitude.

Turning back to Finn, she looked over him again. “So you’re with the Resistance?”

“Obviously.” Finn jumped to his feet. “I’m with the Resistance, yeah. I am with the Resistance.”

It was not exactly a lie. While Finn was far from an official and committed member of the cause, he was on track to becoming one. He had already sprung two high-profile Resistance pilots from prison, helped them commandeer two TIE fighters and then proceeded to escape with them. He was as ‘Resistance’ as they could hope to find in such trying times.

"I've never met a Resistance fighter before," Rey smiled shyly. “Well, not until today.”

"Well, this is what we look like. Some of us,” Finn stammered. “Others look different."

"Beebee-Ate said he's on a secret mission. He has to get back to your base."

Nova just nodded along with this, unsure of quite what to do in this situation.

"Apparently he's carrying a map that leads to Luke Skywalker, and everyone's after it.”

Nova glared at him from beside Rey.

That information was not to be given out lightly.

Rey went wide-eyed in wonder. "Luke Skywalker? I thought he was a myth.”

“No, he’s real all right,” Nova muttered.

BB-8 reappeared around the corner before Nova could be questioned further, beeping frantically. He paused, waiting for them to follow him back to show them what he had seen.

Their two attackers stood a few metres off, but that was not the problem. The problem was who they were talking to. Two stormtroopers – their white armour blinding under the sunlight.

Finn grabbed the hand of each girl, pulling them backwards into the maze of tents.

“What are you doing?” Rey snapped, looking down at their joined hands.

"Come on!" he yelled, breaking into a run.

The scavenger let out a scream as a blaster bolt flew past her head, narrowly missing her before it hit a cleaning unit.

Nova winced with every stride, the pain in her leg making itself known with every move. She was thankful for Finn’s vice-like grip on her hand, keeping her close to him as they ran.

"Come on Beebee-Ate!” she called over her shoulder to the small droid who was just managing to keep pace.

"Let go of me!" Rey complained, pulling away from Finn’s grip.

"No, we gotta move!"

"I know how to run without you holding my hand!" she snapped. "Beebee-Ate stay close! This way!"

Rey took the lead, guiding them through the tents until they were able to find cover in one, avoiding blaster fire all the while.

The adrenaline had kicked in for Nova, dulling the pain to the point she could manage. It was still very much present, but now was not the time to focus on it. If they survived, it could be her problem then.

They came to a stop in a tent; all of them, minus the droid, panting loudly.

"They're shooting at all of us," Rey said, catching herself against a support.

"Yeah. They saw you with me. You're marked,” Finn said, growing more agitated by the second.

“You can’t take all the credit,” Nova bit back sarcastically.

"Well, thanks for that," Rey scoffed, glaring back at Finn.

"Hey! I'm not the one who chased you down with a stick!"

The pilot rolled her eyes. They could not have picked a worse time to bicker.

BB-8 cowered by her ankles.

“It’s okay, buddy. We’re gonna get out of this,” she muttered, glancing around furtively.

No sooner had the words left her mouth was she doubting them further.

Far above them but drawing closer by the second, was the scream of TIE fighter engines. The all-too familiar sound sent a chill down Nova’s spine.

“Stop taking my hand! Rey snapped as Finn grabbed both girls once more, pulling them back to run.

They broke cover, faster than before as two fighters swooped low behind them. Their cannons engaged and opened fire, hitting the ground around them, sending dirt and dust sky-high.

The force of the blast threw the group to the ground, hidden by the cloud of sand that was yet to settle.

Nova groaned as the wind was knocked from her chest, and her ribs ached.

Around her, Rey pushed herself to her hands and knees, dazed but unharmed. Finn had been rendered unconscious, and BB-8 was struggling to stop rolling.

Nova wheezed as she tried to pull oxygen into her lungs.

Rey scrambled to Finn’s side, shaking his shoulder. “Hey.”

He woke sharply. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” She frowned; his concern having surprised her. Finding a new determination, she extended her hand. “Follow me.”

And just like that, they were running again. Out of the market and into the rudimentary shipyard. 

The fighters were back behind them, having circled around for a fresh attack.

Rey had taken the lead once more by a few strides, while Finn continued to pull Nova with him.

“We can’t outrun them!” he yelled over the explosions.

“We might! In that quad-jumper!” Rey pointed ahead of them to the ship.

“We need a pilot!”

“We’ve got two!”

“You?” Finn asked in disbelief of the scavenger. He glanced to the side, spotting a much larger freighter, draped in tarps. “What about that ship?”

“That one’s garbage!” Rey dismissed, keeping her sights set on the quad-jumper.

Unfortunately, the TIEs got to it first, blasting it into oblivion until all that remained was black smoke and flames.

The group skidded to a stop, mouths agape in shock, anger, and indignation.

“The garbage’ll do!”

They set off for the new ship – a ship Nova had not expected to see, least of all on a nowhere junk planet like Jakku.

She could not help but wonder about just why the Millennium Falcon was there, rather than in the hands of its rightful owners. And what exactly had become of them that they were not with the ship.

But those wonderings would have to wait for a time when they were not trying to outrun certain death.


	7. Chapter 7

Rey, Finn, Nova and BB-8 bolted up the ramp, finding themselves in the curved hallway of the Falcon. The walls were almost the same colour as the desert outside, and a few sections were open, leaving wires and circuitry exposed. Years of lacklustre care on show.

She truly was a hunk of junk.

"Gunner position's down there!" Rey said, pointing to the ladder that led to the top and bottom gun turrets. “Nova, with me.”

Nova nodded, leaving Finn to take the guns while she and Rey and headed for the cockpit.

"Y'ever fly this thing?" he yelled to them.

"No! This ship hasn't flown in years!"

Nova was happy to let Rey take the lead, jumping into the co-pilot’s chair with ease. Her being at the helm of a such a familiar ship at such short notice and in her pained and panicked haze was not a good idea. She would assist, not lead.

The engines came to life with a gentle hum, the controls lighting up beneath the girls’ fingers. A few hiccups here and there, but that was to be expected of the old ship.

Nova gave one of the panels a whack with her fist as it grumbled – a technique she had learned at a young age and had yet to catastrophically fail her.

Rey muttered words of self-encouragement, nervously wrapping her hands around the steering instruments. Pre-flight procedures completed, she coaxed the ship to rise.

It was an uneven take off. The starboard side failed to rise, dragging along the ground.

Rey wrestled with the controls, managing to level the ship in time to break through the arch that marked the entrance to Niima Outpost – incidentally the most permanent-looking part. She exhaled carefully as they broke for the open air. “Remind me why you’re the co-pilot here?”

Nova’s grip on her seat tightened, trying and failing to come up with a convincing excuse. “Too late to switch now. Just get us away from the TIEs and off this blasted planet!”

The scavenger nodded, continuing the ascent.

"Woah! Hey!” Finn jumbled out from the gunner. “Stay low! Stay low!”

"What?"

"Stay low! it confuses their tracking!"

Rey shot Nova a sceptical look; one the pilot responded to with decisive nod.

“Beebee-Ate, hold on!” she ordered – an order that was met with a hesitant beep from the droid, who would much rather Nova was in control. He knew what to expect from her piloting, but Rey was new and did not have the luxury of experience evading enemy fighters.

“I’m going low!” Rey confirmed, swinging the Falcon around and back down low to the dunes. They passed through canyons created not by sand and rock, but debris of Star Destroyers from a war long since won.

The TIEs were still hot on their tail, landing multiple hits that uncomfortably rocked the ship.

"What are you doing back there?” Rey protested. “Are you ever gonna fire back?”

"I'm working on it!" Finn defended indignantly. "Are the shields up?"

"Working on it!” Nova returned, punching the panel when the shields failed to come online when requested. A moment and a murmured curse later, they came online. But it would not be enough to protect them for long.

"We need cover!" Finn yelled.

"We're about to get some!" Rey said, adding an anxious “I hope”.

The Falcon banked around another dune, kicking up sand as it dragged against the ground.

The fighters opened fire again, leading to the ship being guided to sway right up close to the larger portions of debris. Sparks flying and the sound of metal grinding on metal signalled they had swung too close.

Rey grumbled, gripping the controls tighter.

Behind her in the corridor, Nova heard BB-8 release his cables, latching himself to the surrounding walls for support.

They moved with the landscape, flying over a destroyer, and dropping back down to the lower levels of sand when given the chance. Unfortunately, the TIEs were able to keep up, copying their manoeuvres with ease.

“Do you actually have a plan?” Nova asked.

“Does it look like it?” Rey shot back through gritted teeth.

“Okay.” The pilot surveyed the graveyard, looking any advantage they could exploit. “Straight ahead. Keep heading for the bit of destroyer. When I say now, bank left hard. Okay?”

“Are you insane?”

“I’m a pilot, of course I’m insane. Trust me.”

Rey agreed, maintaining their course.

Nova leaned over, wrapping her fingers around the controls to the auxiliary power. Her brown eyes narrowed as they drew closer and closer, waiting for the moment to arrive. “Now!”

She pushed the controls as Rey banked, kicking them around the destroyer in one clean motion.

The first TIE fighter was thrown off and forced to split off in the other direction, while the second stayed close behind them. It was not giving up easily, and its pilot was sharp.

But pulling in under another piece of debris gave it no room to manoeuvre, and gave Finn a clean shot. Two shots later and it was sent spinning out into the desert with a tail of black smoke, crashing into the sand and continuing to roll.

"Nice shot!" Rey praised.

No sooner had they escaped one did the other reappear to take its place, mercilessly opening fire. One of the bolts hit the vulnerable underside of the ship, rocking it once again.

"The cannon's stuck in forward position,” Finn reported – evidently his area had taken the brunt of the attack. “I can't move it! You've gotta lose 'em!"

It was Rey’s turn to formulate a plan. She did as Nova had done, scanning the surroundings until she saw it. The rear end of Star Destroyer, the thrusters gutted out and hollow.

There was no time to hesitate. Just to follow her instincts. “Get ready!”

“Okay! For what?”

They flew wide, drifting in the air until they were in line to enter the larger ship. With another kick of power to the engines, they were in, shadows dancing across their faces.

The TIE fighter was not far behind.

"Are we really doing this?" Finn called in a mixture of disbelief and nerves.

"Apparently," Nova replied, just as uncertain. She turned back to Rey. “I’ve pulled some crazy stunts, but this is almost suicidal! We’re going to run out of space, and that TIE is going to get a lock on us!”

“Trust me!”

The pilot chewed the inside of her cheek, gripping the console a little tighter. There was no time to argue, and no other option to take. “Okay.”

The Falcon weaved and ducked through the wreckage, chased by an array of explosions and flames. And just as Nova suspected, they were quickly running out of room.

It made her momentarily think of the stories her uncle had told her of the Battle of Endor; fearlessly flying into the superstructure of the second Death Star in the very ship she was currently co-piloting.

Rey jerked the steering controls harshly, throwing them back into the open at a sharp angle. She had cut it rather fine – they had been a hair’s breadth away from running out of room. In all honesty, she did have the makings of a fine Resistance pilot. Her skills required some polishing, but she had the guts and brains for it.

“Hold on!”

“What?”

Rey killed the power to the engines, sending them into a freefall. Falling, falling, falling. Flipping upside down, exposing the underside of the ship to their enemy. But also aligning the stuck cannon for the perfect shot.

Finn acted accordingly, letting loose of the TIE fighter. He hit it dead on, turning the black and grey ship into a ball of orange flames and blacker smoke as it lost altitude, crashing down to the surface of Jakku.

Power restored, the Millennium Falcon set off for the atmosphere, passing through it and out into the stars unhindered.

The scavenger smirked triumphantly – an expression she had certainly earned. “Ever pull off a stunt like that?”

Nova chuckled breathlessly. “Can’t say that I have.” She reached over, clapping a hand onto the younger girl’s shoulder. “You did well. I’m impressed.”

Rey smiled – a soft and bashful display of emotions. She was far from used to being complimented on her skills, let alone by a Resistance pilot.

From below them, Finn could be heard letting out a whoop of unabated joy.


	8. Chapter 8

Safely drifting through space, the crew of the Millennium Falcon breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Rey scrambled from her seat, still high on the excitement of the escape. A sentiment that was dampened when she saw Nova was not sharing in it.

The older woman remained glued to her co-pilot’s chair, staring out at the stars, though her eyes were not taking them in. Instead, they saw the darkness between them, allowing her mind to become lost in it.

The scavenger placed a hesitant hand on her shoulder. “You coming?”

Nova started a little at the contact, pulling her gaze away from space. “Yeah…” Her voice was a shell of itself; the news of her friend’s death catching up with her. The adrenaline fading away in her veins.

Reluctantly, she pushed herself from her seat, following Rey to the door. There, she hesitated again. Her throat and chest felt tight with restrained grief.

“I’ll catch up with you. I just – I need a minute…” she trailed off, already looking to her escape.

Rey nodded in understanding, letting her go without further question.

Nova set off for where she knew the crew’s quarters to be, letting her façade crumble. She did not bother to shut the door behind her – she would not be disturbed anytime soon. She could hear her comrades enthusing about their escape down the hall.

Perched on the edge of one of the bunks, she allowed herself to mourn openly. She was no stranger to losing friends – it came hand in hand with the job most days – but to lose someone like Poe was a price she had been unprepared to pay.

Despite what she had tried to convince herself, Nova and Poe had not been simply friends. Over the years, years filled with the most extreme situations for them to share, something had developed. Something deep.

But she had not been ready to admit her defeat and surrender to it.

Even now.

Instinctively, her left hand reached for her necklace, pulling at it until the chain dug into her skin. Her thumb and index finger traced the pendant.

It was a simple, silver heart. The sides were detailed with carved leaves and flowers, delicately forming the shape. It was a small constant in her life; always resting beneath her shirt, never far from her heart.

It had in fact been a birthday gift from Poe, despite her refusal to celebrate it – she was not even sure how Poe found out when her birthday was. But Poe had refused to let her wallow all day, and so the evening had been spent in the hanger with Black Squadron, drinking and playing card games.

Nova came out of that affair fifty credits richer and in (temporary) possession of Poe’s jacket.

Before she could further drown herself in mourning, the hiss of something bursting on the other side of the sip reached her ears. And not a moment later, BB-8 appeared to report the situation.

Nova sighed, dried her eyes, and followed the orange and white droid back to civilisation.

\---

Rey was already beneath the floor, surrounded by white vapours, scoping out the issue. “It’s the motivator. Grab me a Harris wrench. Check in there.”

Finn set rummaging through one of numerous, disorganised toolboxes. “How bad is it?”

“If we wanna live, not good.”

"They're hunting for us now. And we’ve gotta get out of this system!"

The scavenger’s head popped up again. “Beebee-Ate said the location of the Resistance base is ‘need to know’. If I’m taking you there, I need to know!” She caught the necessary wrench Finn tossed her way, disappearing back below the vapours.

On cue, Nova and BB-8 entered, the former carefully sliding herself in beside Rey, tool in hand, in a world of her own.

Finn beckoned the small droid over – hoping he would be more cooperative than Nova, who he was hesitant to talk to for fear of upsetting her further. “You gotta tell us where your base is.”

BB-8 beeped, shaking his head.

"I don't speak that,” Finn hissed. He had clearly misjudged the droid. “Alright – between us – I'm not with the Resistance, okay?"

BB-8 backed up in shock, his circuits whirring. He looked to where Nova was obscured by vapour, seeking reassurance.

"I'm just trying to get away from the First Order,” Finn continued. “But if you tell me where the base is, I'll get you and Nova there first. Deal?"

BB-8 slid his head to one side in indecision.

“Droid, please!”

Rey’s head re-emerged. “Pilex driver, hurry.” She glanced between the man and the droid expectantly. “So, where’s your base?”

"Go on Beebee-Ate, tell her," Finn prompted.

BB-8 hesitated, head whirring as he looked from Finn to Rey, Finn to Rey.

"Please!" he hissed, growing increasingly desperate.

The droid was no closer to making a decision.

Nova too appeared from the floor, pushing herself up to sit on the edge. It would be simpler to let one person fix the leak – it was only a one-person repair job to begin with. But her mind and hands had craved a momentary distraction, and fixing a ship usually helped.

BB-8 looked to her for answers, like a child looking to a parent for guidance.

Nova made the choice for him. “D’Qar. The Ileenium system.”

"The Ileenium system?" Rey exclaimed in frustration.

"The Ileenium system, that's the one!” Finn agreed, tossing Rey the Pilex driver. “Get us there as fast as you can.” He beamed at Nova and BB-8 giving them both a thumbs up.

Nova brushed it off with a half-hearted, two fingered salute, while BB-8 matched Finn’s gesture by way of extending his small welding torch, flipping it to mimic a thumbs up.

"I'll drop you three off at Ponemah Terminal,” Rey said from her place by the pipes. “I need the bonding tape, hurry!"

Finn dug back into searching for the requested item, then stopped with a frown. "What about you?"

"I've gotta get back to Jakku."

"Back to Jak – Why does everyone want to go back to Jakku? That place is –”

"It's not that one,” Rey cut in, pointing to the correct item she needed.

Finn tried to follow her directions but struggled in his already agitated frenzy.

“No. No. The one I’m pointing to. No. No. No!” Rey was beginning to match his agitation. “If we don’t patch this up, the propulsion tank will overflow and flood this ship with poisonous gas!”

BB-8 dipped his head by way of indicating the appropriate tape.

"This?" he asked, picking it up.

"Yes," she said, emphatic. Catching it, she ducked back down to the seal the leak.

Finn discarded the toolboxes, shuffling closer to the edge of the open deck. "Rey. You’re a pilot. You can fly anywhere, why go back? You got a family? You got a boyfriend? Cute boyfriend?” He had started to ramble.

"None of your business, that’s why,” the scavenger snapped.

“Even if you do you can’t go back,” Nova said. “You’ve helped three fugitives escape the First Order in a ship stolen from your ‘boss’. You think you wouldn’t be tracked down and handed over immediately if you went back?”

Rey fell silent, having no comeback for the experienced Resistance pilot.

“Besides,” Nova smirked, giving the younger woman another once-over. “We could use someone like you. As a pilot or a mechanic.”

The conversation was halted abruptly by the dimming of the lights, and the familiar sound of a system shutdown.

BB-8 beeped nervously.

"That can't be good," Finn said.

"No, it can't be," Rey agreed.

The quartet went straight for the cockpit; Rey taking the pilot’s seat again, trying the controls before sitting back, sighing in defeat. They were dead in the water. “Someone’s locked onto us. All controls are overridden.”

Finn clambered up onto the co-pilot’s chair, bracing his hands against the transparisteel of the viewing port, and Rey’s head, trying to get a look at the new threat.

“Get off. Get off!” Rey grumbled at his hand on her head; he was by no means light. “See anything?”

The cockpit became bathed in red light as it was pulled into the hanger of a larger ship – some other kind of freighter. From their angle, it was impossible to tell exactly what sort, and therefore what sort of individual it could belong to.

Finn dropped back into his seat, scared and defeated. "It's the First Order."

Nova leaned forward on the seats with a sigh.

"What do we do?” Rey asked, looking between the pilot and the controls. “There must be something.”

Finn turned back to Rey. “You said poisonous gas.”

"I fixed that."

"Can you unfix it?"

They looked to Nova again, waiting for her lead.

“Best shot we’ve got,” she agreed.

Together, they left the cockpit, dashing back to the common area. Each of them grabbed an emergency mask on route.

The deck was pulled back, and Finn and Nova jumped down first.

BB-8 was passed down next, unceremoniously landing on Finn’s chest with a set of distressed beeps.

Rey came last, desperately pulling the deck back into place above them as red light changed to blue.

Systems were back online, and they were about to be boarded.

"Think this'll work on stormtroopers?" the scavenger asked, setting about removing her handiwork on the pipes.

"Yeah. Their masks filter out smoke, not toxins.”

Nova slipped her mask over her face, bunching herself up into the corner with BB-8 as much as she could, giving Rey room to work.

"Hurry," Finn prompted from beside her.

"I'm hurrying," Rey assured.

Above them came the distinct sound of hydraulics as the ramp lowered, and the door rose.

Two pairs of footsteps followed – one significantly heavier than the other.

“Chewie. We’re home.”

Nova froze; heart in her throat, fingers gripping the cuffs of her jacket. Her face became blank behind her mask, eyes staring at the opposite corner of their confined space. Fight or flight – except her only option was to freeze.

She flinched at the clatter of a dropped tool, a sound that had surely given them away.

She looked up, hearing the footsteps growing closer. Watching the scattered shadows through the holes in the grating close in. Until it was pulled away, leaving the group exposed.

Above them stood two individuals: a man and a Wookiee. The former aged with grey hair and tired hazel eyes, while the latter maintained an ageless look – it had always been a challenge to decipher the age of a being that could live for several hundred years.

Nova knew them well; time had changed her to their eyes, but them to hers.

Chewbacca and Han Solo.

Her father.


	9. Chapter 9

Finn and Rey backed up against the wall, staring down the barrel of Han’s old blaster in shock.

"Where are the others?" Han asked sternly. "Where's the pilot?"

"I'm the pilot!” Rey stammered out.

"You?" he raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

Chewie gave a groan, sharing in his companion’s scepticism.

"No, it's true: we're the only ones on board!”

"You can understand that thing?" Finn gaped at her from behind his mask.

“And that thing can understand you too, so watch it,” Han warned. He stepped back, lowing his weapon. “Come on outta there.”

The trio climbed out, all of them too nervous to say a word. They stood in a line – Finn and Rey still wide eyed in terror, Nova looking anywhere but her father.

"Where'd you get this ship?" Han demanded, looking between them expectantly.

"Niima Outpost," Rey answered, unblinking.

"Jakku? That junkyard?"

"Thank you!" Finn exclaimed. Feeling validated, he turned to Rey with a smug look. "Junkyard."

"Told you we should’ve double-checked the Western Reaches," Han muttered to Chewie before continuing his questioning. "Who had it? Ducain?"

"We stole it," Rey supplied. "From Unkar Plutt. He stole it from the Irving Boys, who stole it from Ducain."

"Who stole it from me!" Han said, indignant. "Well, you can tell him Han Solo just stole back the Millennium Falcon. For good!"

"This is the Millennium Falcon? You're Han Solo?" Rey called, eyes lighting up like a child on Life Day.

"I used to be," he replied tersely, disappearing to check out the rest of his ship.

"Han Solo? The Rebellion general?" Finn asked hesitantly.

"No, the smuggler!" Rey exclaimed, half indignant at Finn’s ignorance, half in admiration of the man before them.

"Wasn't he a war hero?" he pressed, looking to Nova and the Wookiee companion.

Chewie groaned a response, paired with a shrug.

“Yeah,” Nova nodded, significantly less enthusiastic than her comrades. “Everyone on base knows the stories.”

"This is the ship that made the Kessel Run in fourteen parsecs!" Rey continued, undeterred.

The younger girl’s enthusiasm brought a bitter feeling to Nova’s chest. There was a time she too looked at her father like that – mystified by the stories of the old war. Of daring heroes and blowing up deadly super weapons despite all odds of failure.

But then she grew up. She was forced to live the reality of such a war. Face the truth and consequences.

She became disillusioned with such legends and stories.

"Twelve!" Han shot back, sounding both indignant and insulted.

A natural silence fell over the ship, which Nova used to retreat to a corner without being noticed. She was thankful to not be recognised yet; the idea of a family reunion made her uneasy.

"Hey!” Han grumbled, returning from the cockpit. “Some moof-milker put a compressor on the ignition line!"

"Unkar Plutt did," Rey supplied. "I thought it was a mistake too, it puts –"

" – too much stress on the hyperdrive," Han finished with her. He paused, looking at the scavenger, puzzled and curious. But it was fleeting. He had more pressing matters. “Chewie, throw 'em in a pod, we'll drop them at the nearest inhabited planet.”

"Wait, no!" Rey protested reflexively. The pilot’s stern look did nothing to deter her. “We need your help.”

"My help?" he scoffed.

"This droid has to get back to the Resistance base as soon as possible,” she insisted, gesturing back to where BB-8 was still below the deck, silently observing.

Nova clenched her jaw, knowing the card she had to play. The information that was sure to get him to listen. “He's carrying a map that leads to Luke Skywalker.”

Han stopped, growing quiet. All hardness drained from him; his shoulders slumping as he sighed, perhaps a little wistfully.

"You are the Han Solo that fought with the Rebellion,” Finn said. “You knew him."

The old man turned back to face them, his expression and voice soft, distant. "Yeah, I knew him. I knew Luke."

A loud metallic thunk echoed from outside the ship. It was impossible to distinguish exactly where it had come from or what had caused it, but it was not simply machinery.

It had been something organic. And large. Most likely highly dangerous.

"Don't tell me a rathtar's gotten loose," Han muttered, brushing past the trio to head out of the Falcon.

"Wait – a what?" Finn asked in horror. "Did you say rathtars?"

The rest of the group followed Han, some more in-the-know than others as to what the problem could be.

"You actually mean to say you’re hauling rathtars on this thing?” Nova demanded; arms folded across her chest.

"I'm hauling rathtars," Han confirmed. His attention was consumed by the camera panel they had reached, checking each screen carefully.

Nerves became annoyance when on one he saw another ship docking. "Oh great. It's the Guavian Death Gang.” He looked to the Wookiee. “They must have tracked us from Nantoon."

He abandoned the screens, setting off for the accessways. The others hurried after him.

"What's a rathtar?" Rey asked, looking between Finn and Nova.

Han answered for them. "They're big and they're dangerous."

"Y'ever heard of the Trillia Massacre?" Finn asked.

She shook her head. “No.”

“Good.”

"I've got three of them going to King Prana," Han explained in an off-handed manner – a manner he had perfected over the years of smuggling and infiltrating.

"Three?” Finn demanded. “How’d you get them on board?”

"I used to have a bigger crew.”

"Three guesses what happened to them," Nova muttered lowly.

Finn hummed in agreement.

They came to a stop at an intersection of accessway. A hatch in the floor was popped and pulled open, and the younger members were gestured to descend.

"Get below deck and stay there until I say so,” Han ordered. “Don't even think about taking the Falcon.”

"What about Beebee-Ate?” Rey asked.

"He stays with me until I can get rid of the gang. Then you can have him back and be on your way."

"Looks like I’m staying with you as well then,” Nova said.

Han turned to her and scoffed. “I don’t think so, kid.”

"Where Beebee-Ate goes, I go. Got it?" Arms folded over her chest; her face took on a stern expression that could rival his. There was very little room to argue with her. She quirked an eyebrow, almost daring him to challenge her.

She was not sure why she was being so defensive. Perhaps it was her need to ensure the protection of Poe’s droid now that he was gone. Or perhaps it was her past emotions towards her father resurfacing faster than she could push them back down. Whatever it was driving her, she was defiant and resolute in her stance.

Han sighed and waved a hand dismissively. He had no time for an argument with someone of her temperament.

"What about the rathtars?" Finn pressed. “Where are you keeping them?"

Behind them, on cue, a giant tongue slammed into the reinforced glass, eliciting screams and gasps of surprise from the young fighters.

"There's one," Han said, nonchalantly pointing to it. “Now, you two. Get below and keep quiet.”

"What are you gonna do?" Rey frowned, beginning to climb down.

"Same thing I always do. Talk my way out of it."

Chewie groaned out a disagreement, shooting his partner an accusing look.

"Yes, I do. Every time.”

\---

The door to the left of the party opened with a whoosh of aged hydraulics, revealing the Guavian Death Gang.

They were few in numbers. Five guides clad in the distinct crimson and black, with circular bead-like helmets. The sixth was their leader, a young man, who stepped out around his security force to address the man he was there for.

"Han Solo. You're a dead man."

"Bala-Tik,” Han said, keeping up a friendly pretence. “What’s the problem?”

"The problem is we loaned you fifty thousand for this job," Bala-Tik replied. "I heard you also borrowed fifty thousand from Kanjiklub."

"You know you can't trust those little freaks! How long have we known each other?"

"The question is how much longer will we know each other? Not long. We want our money back now."

"You think hunting rathtars is cheap? I spent that money!"

"Kanjiklub want their investment back, too."

"I never made a deal with Kanjiklub!" Han was becoming exasperated.

"Tell that to Kanjiklub."

The door to the group’s right opened, heralding the arrival of Kanjiklub. Four guards, and their leader.

Nova wheeled on her father, appalled, and spitting through a clenched jaw. “You’re trying to double cross Kanjiklub and the Guavian Death Gang? Are you insane?”

She had more than just heard of both gangs.

It had not been by choice, but she had had dealings with them both in the past. She knew how they operated, and she knew what they did to those who tried to play them.

Han shushed her aggressively, before looking back to the second approaching gang. His expression looked forced and uncomfortable. "Tasu Leech. Good to see you!"

“Wrong again, Solo.” Leech said – he did not speak Basic, but his language was one both Nova and Han fortunately understood. “It’s over for you. And your associate.”

"Boys!” Han addressed both parties, hands raised as he tried to reason with them. "You're both gonna get what I promised. Have I ever not delivered for you before?"

"Yeah," Bala-Tik said simply.

“Twice,” Leech added.

Han feigned a frown, looking to Chewie – who nodded, confirming Leech’s statement.

"What was the second time?"

Nova sighed quietly, rolling her eyes.

"Your game is old.” Bala-Tik spat. “There's no one in the galaxy left for you to swindle.”

“Nowhere left to hide.”

"That BB unit," Bala-Tik nodded towards BB-8. "The First Order is looking for one just like it. And three fugitives.”

BB-8 retreated behind Nova’s legs, looking up at her nervously.

The pilot tensed, but managed to keep her face blank, professional, as the gang leader eyed her up in suspicion.

"First I've heard of it," Han dismissed calmly.

“Search the ship,” Leech ordered his henchmen, who promptly set about shining an illuminator through the cracks in the floor in search of their other companions.

The lights lining the hallway began to flicker, some of them dying out altogether, casting the occupants in dark shadows. In the distance, the groan and squeak of machinery could be heard, followed by snarls and squeals.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Han murmured.

"You're not the only one," Nova agreed, glancing around in apprehension. She would have felt a lot better with a blaster by her side in that moment. Or any moment for that matter.

The patience of the gangs had run out.

"Kill them!" Bala-Tik ordered. "And take the droid!"

Before a single bolt could be fired, two rathtars appeared – one at each end of the corridor, behind the gangs. They were huge, barely able to fit through the corridors as they rolled and howled, tentacles flailing wildly.

The gangs had been caught off guard. They did not stand a chance.

As the rathtars overwhelmed them, Han, Chewie, Nova and BB-8 took the chance to run for the next turn in the accessways.

Misdirected blaster fire filled the air with sparks and whistles as it hit the walls.

Nova’s leg complained under the strain of running. It had only just reacquainted itself with comfortable walking, and the adrenaline kick she was experiencing was doing very little to dull the pain.

Fortunately, they were not running for long. A turn or two later and they were back to the hanger. Only thing that stood in their way was a door.

"I got the door,” Han said, going straight for the control panel.

BB-8 cowered beside Nova, beeping in terror as Chewie opened fire viscously.

They were down to one opponent – a Guavian Death Gang henchman, who managed to land a shot right to Chewie’s shoulder.

The Wookiee dropped to the floor with a roar of pain.

Han was by his side in an instant, grabbing his dropped bowcaster to take out the gang member.

The blast sent him flying.

“Wow,” Han muttered, weighing the weapon in his hands. He lifted it again, turning back to the panel. He fired off a single shot, frying the controls, releasing the door.

They were nearly at the Falcon when Finn and Rey caught up to them, looking just as fraught as the rest of them.

"You, close the door behind us," Han ordered to Rey, then to Finn and Nova he ordered, "You take care of Chewie."

Finn took hold of the Wookiee without question, struggling under the weight as they made it up the ramp – bringing up the rear of the group.

Nova made it to common area first, stumbling in her rush to sit down and get the weight off her leg. She took a seat on the floor - BB-8 by her side, dome head resting against her knee.

She managed to tune out to commotion around her. The argument coming from the cockpit and the grumbles coming from across the common area.

She had started to fiddle with her necklace again as she disappeared into her own thoughts, her senses soothed by the hum of engines hitting hyperspace.

For the first time in far too many hours, she had a moment to breathe.


	10. Chapter 10

_Nova sighed; fists pressed against the smooth expanse of holotable, head and shoulders slumped. Her flight suit hung loose, the top half having been stripped off and secured around her waist by the sleeves. The rushed bun she had tied her hair into was on the brink of unravelling entirely. “You’re welcome.”_

_Poe turned to her; arms folded across his chest. “We had it covered.”_

_“Weren’t you strictly instructed to ‘not engage’?” She copied his stance with a quirked, challenging eyebrow._

_“In my defence, they engaged us first.”_

_“You always say that.”_

_“And it’s always mostly true! Come on, how many missions have we been on recently where we haven’t been engaged?”_

_“They’re certainly getting bolder.” Her eyes wandered back to the projected readout, scanning the information again. “If this keeps up, my saving your ass is going to become my full-time job.”_

_“Like it isn’t already?”_

_They shared a knowing look, one that turned into a knowing chuckle._

_Their eyes met – gazes having lingered a fraction too long on each other. Another occurrence that had been coming around more frequently as of late. One they had yet to talk about._

_One Nova had actively been avoiding talking about for fear of making it real._

_Poe licked his lips nervously. “Can we… talk?”_

_“About…?”_

_“Yes.”_

_She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. “Poe…”_

_“Nova, please just hear me out,” he pleaded, carefully wrapping his fingers around her wrist._

_The contact was warm, comforting. She did not pull away from it, letting him guide her to face him. With a nod, she forced herself to meet his eye, seeing only hope and compassion reflected there._

_“Nova, I really like you. You can’t ignore that there is – something – between us. Something that I don’t think comes around too often, especially at a time like this. And… I wanna do something about it.” His hand slipped from her wrist, weaving his fingers together with hers. “Do you?”_

_“Yes,” she said, her voice just above a whisper, catching in her throat. “But, I can’t. We can’t.” Pulling away from him, she retreated to the other side of the holotable._

_“Why?”_

_She sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want to,” she started carefully – wishing to be kind. “But every day we are getting closer to an all-out war that could destroy us both.”_

_“I know.” He followed her to the other side, taking her hand again. “So shouldn’t we take every chance that we get like this?”_

_Nova’s head fell to rest against his shoulder. “I can’t, Poe… I know it sounds selfish, but I couldn’t lose you like that.”_

_“You’re not going to lose me. We’re going to win this.”_

_“You don’t know that!”_

_“No, I don’t,” he agreed quietly. “But I have hope. And I still want to try…”_

_He cradled her face – their foreheads pressed against one another; eyes squeezed shut._

_Nova willed herself not to cry. While her heart wanted so much to agree and give it a chance – to have hope – her head refused to surrender. Though she would not admit it, she was scared._

_Upon entering the war, she had been given a second chance – a chance to forgive herself for her failures. To be the person she was always destined to be. But as the cold war dragged on, each day the evil growing stronger and bringing them closer to war’s most terrible form, deep down she grew less and less hopeful for herself._

_She saw no salvation for herself, no happy ending. No hope. And so, she had given up trying. Resigned herself to fate._

_Poe’s thumb brushed along her cheekbone. “Nova, I –”_

_“Don’t.” She covered his mouth with her hand, stopping him mid-sentence. “Please, don’t.”_

_He nodded, and she removed her hand, instead holding it against his cheek._

_“I’m sorry, but we can’t do this. It would be too hard…”_

_“I understand,” he murmured sadly._

_Nova wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close._

_Poe responded automatically, his arms encircling her waist tightly. He rested his head on her shoulder, feeling her bury her face in his neck._

_Her voice was muffled. “I’m sorry...”_

_He sighed. “It’s okay…”_

\---

The chaos aboard the Millennium Falcon had finally subsided. Now safely in hyperspace, everyone was free to relax somewhat.

Han and Rey had yet to emerge from the cockpit, but the distant sound of warning alarms coming from that direction provided an explanation as to why.

BB-8 remained with Nova. He had tried to offer assistance to Finn in patching up Chewie, but had given up quickly in fear of the Wookiee. He was brave for his protocols, but it was still in a BB unit’s nature to be skittish; and being growled at by a seven-foot-tall beast did not help.

Finn had managed to calm Chewie enough to bandage his wound – narrowly avoiding being strangled a few times in the process. His handiwork complete, he retreated, taking a seat around the holo-table beside Nova.

The pilot let out a shaky sigh, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. Her throat was dry. Her fingers were still wrapped around the pendant.

Tentatively, Finn laid a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry about Poe.”

Nova looked up at him, offering a pained but reassuring smile – one that barely reached her cheeks. “At least he died raising hell for the Order. Not locked away in some dark cell.”

He nodded. “You two seemed very close,” he continued, awkwardly dancing around what he really wanted to ask. “Were you two – ya’know?”

“No.” She shook her head. “It was uh – complicated. I thought it would make things easier but… it’s just as hard…”

Finn nodded, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze. “He was a good guy.”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

A pause followed, where Nova found the energy to move from the floor, taking a seat next to Finn.

“Hey, uh – thanks for covering for me,” he said.

“Don’t mention it,” she shrugged. “Besides, I didn’t exactly lie. You’re as good as a member of the Resistance now.”

Finn fell silent, looking down at his hands. The notion of being a part of the Resistance still did not sit well with him.

“The jacket suits you by the way,” she offered kindly, nudging his shoulder with hers. “Keep it.”

He frowned. “You sure?”

“He’d want you to have it.”


	11. Chapter 11

Han and Rey entered, the former going straight to check on Chewie, who was still confined to the bunk off to the side.

Rey went for her companions, quietly checking in with Finn and Nova before taking the seat beside the engineering station.

“Don’t say that, you did great,” Han assured the Wookiee, patting him on the shoulder, before turning to address Finn. “Great job, kid. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Finn responded earnestly, leaning forward on the table. Doing so brought it to life, displaying a long untouched game of holo-chess, the pieces still mid-move. He frowned, searching for the switch to turn it off, with little success.

“So, fugitives, huh?” Han asked. He almost sounded amused, looking between the highly unlikely trio and droid. Not exactly what one would expect to see causing the First Order trouble. Then again, he had been part of a similarly unlikely group all those years ago.

"The First Order wants the map," Rey supplied, nodding to her friends. “Nova and Finn are with the Resistance. I’m just a scavenger.”

Han examined them sceptically – Finn more so than Nova. There was no doubt in his mind that she was the real deal Resistance fighter. He saw her without seeing her.

Finn however was where he was unsure. He could handle himself well in a battle, but all that showed was that he was a survivor, not a fighter. His skillset certainly was a little peculiar, but further evaluation could wait.

Chewie on the other hand, had seen Nova. He was watching her curiously, trying to determine if she could in fact be the same girl he had helped to raise. The girl with a knack for trouble and a bright light in her eyes. A light that had since been buried deep, covered by layers of shadow.

Nova would glance at him every now and then, but overall did her best to ignore it and act casual – remaining quiet and to herself.

"Let's see whatcha got," Han said, gesturing to BB-8.

The droid looked back to Nova, waiting for permission.

She nodded. “Go ahead.”

He rolled to the centre of the room, projecting the map the fill the room. It started in a rigid shape – a section of a larger whole – before expanding to show whole star systems, all brilliantly depicted in the holographic shades of blue.

"This map's not complete," Han noted. "It's just a piece.”

“It’s a start,” Nova said. “We’ve been after it for months.”

“Ever since Luke disappeared, people have been looking for him.” He became quiet, distant. There was more that he wanted to say, but it would pain him to do so.

Luke had not been the only person he had lost.

Nova nodded.

The mission to find Luke had been made her top priority as she acted as second in command for all operations concerned – Poe had insisted upon it when he hand-picked each pilot for the team known as Black Squadron.

"Why'd he leave?" Rey asked, eyes fixed on the map in awe.

"He was training a new generation of Jedi. One boy, an apprentice turned against him, destroyed it all.” He pursed his lips, remembering. “Luke felt responsible... he just walked away from everything.”

"Do you know what happened to him?" Finn inquired, also thoroughly enthralled by the story.

"There're a lot of rumours," Nova said.

"Stories," Han agreed. "The people who knew him best think he went looking for the first Jedi temple."

"The Jedi were real?" Rey gasped.

"I used to wonder that myself. Thought it was a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. A magical power holding together good and evil, the dark side and the light." He paused, thinking about everything he had seen over the course of the war against the Empire. Thinking about Luke. "Crazy thing is, it's true. The Force, the Jedi, all of it. It's all true."

Rey and Finn stood staring at him, lost for words. Every story they thought had been just that, stories, were real.

An alarm sounded softly, pulling the group from their shared reverie.

BB-8 cut the projection, rolling back to Nova dutifully.

Chewie went to rise, but Han put out a hand to stop him.

"No, you rest," he instructed firmly, then glanced back to the young trio. "You want my help? You're getting it. Gonna see an old friend. She'll get your droid home. This is our stop."

They headed for the cockpit, each of them taking a seat as the Falcon dropped out of hyperspace above a planet.

The planet in question was Takodana – a tranquil world of forests and oceans. It looked just as beautiful from orbit as it did in atmosphere; a canvas of blues and greens, flecked with white clouds.

"I didn't know there was this much green in the whole galaxy..." Rey breathed in quiet astonishment. She almost looked on the verge of tears.

Han watched her for a quiet moment, seeing her vulnerability. It touched him somewhat.

Nova too seemed peaceful. She had been to Takodana on numerous occasions for various reasons, and yet it never failed to take her breath away. Forest and jungle planets had that effect on her – reminding her of a simpler, safer time in her life.

The Falcon landed in a spot beside the lake, looking out across the vast expanse of clear, mirror-like water. Lush green trees framed the landing zone, the leaves rustling in the breeze the engines created.

Rey was the first off the ship, jogging to edge of the water, letting the soft, sweet-smelling breeze touch her face. It was a refreshing, much needed change from the close heat of a desert world, and one she had only dreamed of.

Nova followed, breathing deep. Reaching the younger woman, she nudged her shoulder, gently alerting her to her presence. “You okay?”

"Yeah. It's just...so green," Rey smiled. "I'm sorry, I know it sounds stupid.”

Nova shook her head, smiling kindly. "No, I don’t think it does. I take planets like this for granted. Can't imagine what it must have been like to grow up on Jakku."

"And you don't want to.”

The pair shared a light chuckle; a moment of somewhat awkward relief that was broken by the arrival of Han.

Nova gave him a curt nod before retreating to the ship, having spotted Chewie alone, chucking it over.

Chewie saw her coming, letting out a low moan when she got close enough.

“Yeah, it’s me,” she said quietly.

He groaned again, pulling her into a tight hug with his huge, furry arms.

Nova had not expected to find so much comfort in the action, but it came with the familiarity. “I missed you too.”

Chewie let her go, ruffling her hair with one of his paws, eliciting a giggle from the young woman. He would always see her as the little girl, so full of spirit, and just as troublesome as her father.

Finn arrived behind her, carrying two blasters. He offered the smaller one to her – one that she would be able to fit into the holster that was still secured around her thigh.

She took it, turning it in her hands twice, adjusting to the balance and weight.

It was no GLIE-44, but it would suffice.

She slipped it into the holster with a nod of thanks – at least she now had sure way of defending herself, further setting her at ease.

“Chewie, check out the ship as best you can,” Han called back to his co-pilot. “You two,” he pointed between Finn and Nova, “come on.”

They nodded, catching up to Rey, following Han towards the main – and only – point of interest Takodana had to offer. The castle across the water.

"Solo, why are we here again?" Finn frowned.

"To get your droid on a clean ship.”

"Clean?" It was Rey’s turn to frown.

"Do you think it was luck that Chewie and I found the Falcon? If we can find it on our scanners, the First Order's not far behind.” Han explained. The Falcon was hardly an incognito vessel. “Want to get Bebee-Ate to the Resistance? Maz Kanata is our best bet."

They had reached the small courtyard that served as an entryway to the establishment, decorated with flags and banners representing every culture and creed one could call to mind from one side of the galaxy to the other.

Finn was still unconvinced. "We can trust her, right?"

"Relax, kid. She's run this watering hole for a thousand years. Maz is a bit of an acquired taste, so let me do the talking. And whatever you do, don't stare.”

"At what?" Rey and Finn chorused.

"Any of it."

The doors slid open, revealing the establishment within.

It was dimly lit, and there was a distinct smell of alcohol and spice in the air, which felt rather close compared to outside. There was a healthy bustle of noise, with music playing in the background of conversations – talks of job acquisition, gambling, negotiations, and so on.

The ideal location for more nefarious activities.

The group of five entered quietly. Rey and Finn did their best not to stare as they adjusted to the culture shock. Han, Nova and BB-8 went unphased – nothing they had not seen before.

A figure stood at the bar – a short, humanoid being, with orange skin, only slightly withered with age. They started, drawing themselves up as if sensing something. They wheeled to face the door, revealing tight features and beady eyes, enlarged by goggles.

The owner of the establishment – Maz Kanata herself.

Her voice was booming, reverberating around the walls when she caught sight of the leader of their party.

"Han Solo!"


	12. Chapter 12

The room fell silent in an instant, all eyes drawn to the newcomers that warranted such a cry.

“Oh boy…” Han sighed in resignation. He should have expected nothing less from the eccentric woman, though he had hoped to remain a little more inconspicuous. “Hey, Maz!”

Activity resumed throughout the room, everyone going back to their food, drinks, and business.

Maz made her way through the crowd, looking over each member of the group with analytical eyes before addressing Han once more.

"Where's my boyfriend?"

Han shifted, looking a little uncomfortable. "Chewie's working on the Falcon.”

"I like that Wookiee," she said, the abruptly turned to the oldest of the women. "Nova! Haven't seen you in these parts for a while. How's things?"

“They’ve been better,” Nova admitted.

“The boyfriend?”

Her jaw clenched at the illusion. “He wasn’t my boyfriend. But no, worse than that.”

“My dear child.” Maz had noticed the past tense, and gave her hand a squeeze. Then, she addressed the rest of the group – all business. “I assume you need something. Desperately. Let’s get to it!”

She waved for them to follow, taking them through the crowd to a more secluded table. They drew a few eyes, but each of them tried not to think about it too much. They did not exactly fit the bill of regular patrons in that sort of place.

Taking their seats, an array of food was offered to them, which Rey dug into immediately without question. Han ate too, though with more decorum. Nova selected a single fruit, which she would nibble at intervals, having only a small appetite. Finn had lost his altogether.

Nova was more than happy for the excuse to stay quiet and let Han do the talking, as he had ordered.

The circumstances laid before her, Maz chuckled in astonished triumph. “A map to Skywalker himself? You’re right back in the mess!”

"Maz, I need you to get this droid to Leia," Han said, leaning forward in his seat.

Maz thought for a second. "Hmm. No.”

Finn and Rey looked up in surprise, while Nova only sat up straighter.

If Maz refused something, she always had her reasons.

“You've been running away from this fight for too long. Han, nyakee nago wadda. Go home!"

"Leia doesn't wanna see me," Han sighed. "Not after our daughter..."

"Please,” Finn cut in. “We came here for your help.”

"What fight?" Rey asked.

"The only fight there's been for generations," Nova said. "The one against the dark side."

Maz nodded in agreement. "Through the ages, I've seen evil take many forms. The Sith. The Empire. Today, it is the First Order. Their shadow is spreading across the galaxy. We must face them. Fight them. All of us."

"There is no fight against the First Order. Not one we can win!” Finn’s voice had taken on a cold tone, as had his face. He leaned forward, glancing around his companions. "Look around. There's no chance we haven't been recognised already."

"Finn," Nova cut in warily.

He ignored her. "I bet you the First Order is on their way right –”

Maz’s goggles clicked as she adjusted them, enlarging her eyes to an alarming degree. She climbed onto the table, crawling forward with little regard for any cups or plates in her path.

"What's this? What are you doing?" Finn asked nervously, leaning as far back in his seat as he could. "Solo, what is she doing?" He looking to Han for answers, but only found amused indifference.

"I don't know, but it ain't good,” was his response.

"If you live long enough you see the same eyes in different people," Maz mused. "I'm looking at the eyes of a man who wants to run."

Her statement marked the breaking point for the ex-stormtrooper. He leaned back towards her, defiant of her analysis. "You don't know a thing about me. Where I'm from. What I've seen. You don't know the First Order like I do. They'll slaughter us. We all need to run."

She hummed thoughtfully, and returned to her seat. "You see those two?" She nodded to a pair sat across the room. "They'll trade work for transportation to the Outer Rim. There, you can disappear."

"Finn!" Rey hissed, unable to believe he could even consider such an offer.

He hesitated, turning to her with a desperation. “Come with me.”

"What about Beebee-Ate?” she demanded. “We're not done yet. We have to get him back to your base."

She looked to Nova for support, but only found resignation.

Nova was not in the mood to argue a losing battle. If his mind was made up, she could not change it, of that much she was sure.

"I can't.” Finn stood, holding out his borrowed weapon to Han.

Han did not take it. He seemed just as resigned as Nova. “Keep it, kid.”

Nova stood before Finn could leave, gripping his arm like a vice. She looked him dead in the eyes, her own stone cold to match her tone. “Tell. Her.”

He shook her off and left without a backwards glance.

She sunk back into her seat, sighing dejectedly.

Rey gave her a hard stare, before going after Finn, no doubt to demand an explanation.

Maz too returned to her seat, adjusting her goggles back to a reasonable setting. “Who’s the girl?”

Han shrugged. “Scavenger from Jakku. Smart kid. Resourceful. Says she needs to get back – didn’t say why, and I can’t imagine why she’d want to.”

Maz nodded in consideration.

"What about you, Nova?"

Nova looked up at him, wary of where the conversation could lead. “What about me?”

“Who are you?”

“I’m a captain in the Resistance. Primary defence squadron.”

“A pilot, huh?” He was undeniably impressed. “You any good?”

Nova shrugged. “I’d say that’s subjective.”

“And I’d say that’s a modest ‘yes’.”

She smiled, waving a dismissive hand.

“What brought you to this fight?”

Her smiled faded, and she bit the inside of her cheek. She could see where her answers would lead them – to the truth. It was only a matter of time until all cards were on the table, and she could no longer avoid it.

“Because it’s my duty,” she said. “My parents were leaders in the old rebellion against the Empire.” She held careful eye contact with her father. “The rise of the First Order destroyed my family. I lost almost everything.”

Han’s expression softened in sympathy, seeing how vulnerable she had shown herself to be. “I know what that’s like.”

He could not help but wonder why she was so quick to trust him – she did not seem to be a naïve and trusting person; rather more cold and even cynical one. But then again, if she were a child of rebel leaders, she would know all the stories. Know exactly who he was and that he could be trusted.

It left him with a curious frown.

Nova swallowed. It was her turn for questions. “Why wouldn’t Leia want to see you?”

Guilt flashed in his eyes. “Because I left. But…”

“But what?”

He sighed. “I left to find our daughter.”

She sat up slowly, masking a pained and confused expression.

“But I failed. She didn’t want to be found.”

It was what he had told himself. It was better than admitting the almost inevitable truth.

“You’re right,” Nova said. “But that didn’t stop Leia.”

“What?”

Nova sat back, eyes locked on his face, making him look at her – see their similarities; same hair, same eyes – but also the similarities she had gained from her mother – same nose, same chin and jawline.

“Nova?”

“Hi, Dad.”


	13. Chapter 13

Maz slipped away from the table, giving the reunited father and daughter some time alone to figure everything out.

Nova sighed, looking back down at the table for lack of a better option.

Han continued to stare at her in shock. Now that he saw her, she could not possibly be anyone else.

She had changed so much – no longer an impassioned, scrappy girl, but a mature, competent woman.

Not just a survivor. A soldier.

"Why didn’t you come home?”

She shifted in her seat. “I couldn’t.”

“Why?”

“Because I failed. Because I wasn’t the chosen child; I was never good enough. Because it was my fault, and I couldn’t stop him!” Her voice had risen, now sharp like wind in a hurricane.

"I thought you were dead!" Han exclaimed.

“That was the idea.” It was an unkind thing to say, but it was the unfortunate truth. The whole ordeal was unkind.

She ran a hand over her face and sighed. “I’m sorry, I – I thought Mom told you…”

Han looked down at the table. He had ignored most transmissions sent by Leia, foolishly. And then, when he had lost possession of the Falcon, it had not crossed his mind to try and contact her anyway.

By that time, he had lost hope that their daughter was still out there somewhere. Again, foolish.

“Nova –”

“You don’t need to say you’re sorry. I know what he meant to you,” she muttered, her voice bitter. She had averted her gaze to the floor.

“What both of you meant to me,” he corrected gently.

“Don’t lie. I never lived up to my potential. What you and Mom wanted for me.”

“We thought it was what was best for you.”

“Well, you were wrong.”

“I know.” He stood, moving to the seat beside her. “Nova, look at me.”

Begrudgingly, she obliged.

“This wasn’t your fault, d’you hear me? There’s nothing any of us could have done to stop this.”

“I could have stopped him.”

“We both know that isn’t you.”

She blinked, a single tear falling to her cheek. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

It used to be her.

“I wanted to make you proud.”

“You’ve certainly done that,” he smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Resistance captain. Top pilot – I can take credit for that, right?”

Nova chuckled. “A little.”

“Good enough for me.”

All activity fell silent around the room as someone entered, urging them all in horror to come outside.

Nova and Han exchanged a worried glance as they followed the crowd, pushing their way to the front as they filed out of the building. Even Chewie joined them from the Falcon.

All eyes had turned to the sky, where a light had appeared. A light so bright it pieced the daylight in a streak of scarlet. Its origin was unknown, but whispers were going around – a star going nova and the like – but that was too simple. Too insignificant.

And Nova could feel it. She did not want to, but she had no choice. The millions of souls crying out from a million parsecs away were impossible not to feel.

"It was the Republic! The First Order, they’ve done it.” Finn sprinted to them, just as shocked as the crowd.

Nova shivered – the pieces had fallen into place. Everything the First Order had been doing, ignored by the New Republic, had been gearing towards this. The destruction to start the war.

Finn looked between the trio, a frown on his face. "Where's Rey?"

Only then did they notice the absence of the girl and BB-8.

“I thought she was with you,” Han said.

From behind, a forceful voice interrupted them. They turned to find Maz, gesturing for them to follow.

They did so, heading down the stairs to a series of secretive passageways. From there, they entered a small room, filled with collectable objects of various values – though knowing Maz, they would all be reasonably high.

"I've had this for ages," she said, opening a chest and removing something from within. "Kept it locked away."

Turning, she held it out to the group. Even in the poor light, the father and daughter recognised it – though Nova could not believe it.

Her grandfather and later her uncle’s lightsaber, thought to have been lost decades ago to the gas giant Bespin in a fateful duel.

"Where'd you get that?" Han asked.

"A good question for another time," Maz dismissed, turning to the young duo. “Take it. Find your friend!”

Nova stepped back. “I can’t.”

Fortunately, she did not have to.

Finn stepped up, taking the ancient weapon, turning it over in his hands. It was heavier than he had expected.

Above them came the boom of explosions, and the sound of enemy ships closing in. The ceiling shook, releasing a small shower of dust and dirt.

"Those beasts,” Maz hissed. “They’re here.”

The group headed back for the entrance, only to find it caved in. Part of the building above must have been knocked down.

“There another way out of here?” Han asked.

Maz shook her head.

They were trapped, and an unfriendly party was breaking their way through before them.

“What are you doing?” Finn demanded when Han pushed his blaster back to his side.

“This is not the time to try and talk your way out of it,” Nova added frantically.

The squadron of stormtroopers arrived, weapons poised, blocking off the exit entirely in a wall of white. “Put your weapons down! We’re taking you into custody by order of Supreme Leader Snoke!”

“Smoke?” Han feigned ignorance, looking back to address Chewie. “Do you know a Smoke?”

“Snoke!” The squad leader repeated. “Supreme Leader Snoke!”

“What makes him ‘supreme’?”

“Put your weapons down!”

“Is this something he did?” He pointed to Finn. “Is this about the stormtrooper boots?”

“What? That’s how you knew?” the young man demanded, growing increasingly nervous.

“Weapons down!” The trooper was running out of patience.

Han sighed, wresting Finn’s blaster from him to throw at their feet. “Down.”

“Real smart, Solo…” Finn muttered.

“And the other one. The hairy one!”

“Don’t call him that,” Han protested, gesturing for the Wookiee to drop his weapon – which he did without question.

“And your blasters!” The trooper finally turned his attention on Han and Nova.

“My blaster?” he asked, surprised. “Um… it’s broken.”

“Oh for kriff’s sake,” Nova cursed, having reached her wits’ end. She pulled her blaster, gunning down the three leading troopers from behind her father without so much as pause for breath in between.

Han followed suit, helping her take out their enemy’s backup before they could think to fire a single shot. “Where’d you learn to shoot like that?”

“Not the time,” Nova replied coolly, already heading to the exit.

With a little difficulty, they were able to push the mass of rubble aside, revealing to them the outside world. Chewie had taken the lead, pushing away the larger stones of what had been the castle, now raised to the ground by a bombing run.

TIE fighters screeched through the sky, flying too low for comfort and escorting troop carriers. Stormtroopers littered the battlefield, chasing down any individuals still alive and fleeing.

Han took out three troopers with ease before they could notice them, ensuring they were clear to break from the rudimentary cover. Once safe, he helped Nova out, before giving his attention back to the battle. “Come on, Chewie!”

Together, he and Chewie ran for part of a wall that had yet to crumble completely to take further stock of their situation.

Nova waited to assist Finn and Maz, covering their escape as best she could, ducking away from TIE fighter fire.

Finn looked around the battlefield, the urge to run once again setting in.

Maz turned to him. “Rey and Beebee-Ate, they need you! Now, go!”

"I need a weapon!"

She grabbed his hand still holding the lightsaber, pushing it back to his body. “You have one!”

Finn looked at the weapon with a great deal of uncertainty. Igniting it, he took in the lethal blue blade, wondering how exactly he was going to defend himself with it. Blasters and rifles he knew, but he had never encountered something of this nature.

“I’ll cover you,” Nova said, heading for a pile of stone and rubble she could shield herself with. Her fingers tightened around her blaster; her eyes cold with concentration.

Her senses tuned to her surroundings, she watched for any troopers approaching Finn in his blind spots, and listened for any coming into hers. She was in a defendable spot, allowing her to take some pressure off her injured leg, which was making its presence known again.

One, two three, four stormtroopers fell at her hand – one in front of her, three behind. If her affinity with the force was good for anything, it was her accuracy with a blaster.

Finn had found himself up against a larger opponent, who easily outmatched him with his skill with a melee weapon. If Finn had not been wielding a lightsaber, a weapon that would strike nerves into anyone on the receiving end, he would have been finished immediately.

Knocked to the floor, he looked up as the trooper strode towards him, weapon raised above his head. But before the killing blow could land, he flew backwards, two black marks scorching his armour.

Han reached him first, pulling him to his feet. “You okay, big deal?”

"Thanks," Finn sighed, grateful for the save.

The interruption of more troops was not a welcome one. They surrounded them swiftly, blasters drawn and primed for action. Outnumbering them to an almost laughable degree.

"Don't move! TK-338, we have targets in custody!"

Their weapons were snatched and wrestled from them, and their hands were forced onto their heads in surrender.

They were escorted to what had been the front of the castle, stumbling their way over rubble with no hope of being able to catch themselves without facing punishment from their captors.

If she had been surrounded by her fellow Black Squadron members, they would have fought their way out by hand by that point. But as it was, she was operating on an injury and in the company of only one being who could hope to take out a stormtrooper effectively without the aid of a weapon.

No way out.

Except for the faint and familiar sound of engines. Not the harsh scream of TIE fighters, but instead the gentle yet violent hum of X-Wings.

The troopers too had noticed, picking up the readings on their scanners, sending them into a frenzy as they prepared for the oncoming assault.

The prisoners turned to see the X-Wings drawing nearer, skimming the top of the lake, the engines stirring the water behind them up into a wave, masking their numbers.

But Nova knew there would be more than the First Order could counter on such short notice.

She sighed, relief flooding her system.

“It’s the Resistance,” Han breathed.


	14. Chapter 14

The X-Wings broke formation as they reached land, S-Foils locking into attack position as they took to the skies. Some aimed for the troopers on the ground, while others chased down the scrambled TIE fighters, sending them crashing to the ground in flames.

The blasts scattered their captors, leaving Han, Chewie, Finn and Nova free and exposed in the dust and smoke.

They grabbed their weapons back from fallen troopers and split off into pairs, re-joining the battle with renewed hope and resolve. With the cover of the entire Resistance defence squadron, they had little to fear – the battle was as good as won.

Finn had been able to procure a blaster, putting him back into his comfort zone as he took out any straggling stormtroopers.

Nova joined him; the pair covering each other as they moved through the field, doing their best to outrun TIE fighter fire. One particularly heavy blast brought them to a stop, the dirt before their feet kicked up sky-high.

The fighter banked around for another attack it would never get to make.

An X-Wing, painted strikingly in black and orange, chased it down and destroyed it, almost as if it had personally offended him in some way. It was left to fall to the lake without a second thought.

The X-Wing continued its arc across the sky, impossibly tight in its manoeuvres. The flight path was smooth. No movement second guessed. Every turn and spin deliberate. Every shot finding its mark.

Only one person could pilot that ship. Only one person could pilot like that.

Nova gasped in relief, feeling like her heart skipped a beat.

He was alive.

"That's one helluva pilot!" Finn whooped, watching on in wonder.

“Great!” Han yelled from behind a fallen wall. “Now how about you two get your admiring selves over here before you get shot?”

The young pair followed his orders, running back to cover.

Nova winced with every stride; the spike in adrenaline doing little to dull the pain anymore. Too much strain on an already battered and bruised area – still with no telling how bad the injury was.

"You good, kid?" Han asked, catching her as she stumbled.

She nodded. Her eyes were watery, but shining bright with joy.

Soon enough, the First Order were pulling out – conceding their loss. Any remaining troops returned to their transports, the last few TIEs circling them like birds as air support.

Only then was the command shuttle revealed – the same one from Jakku. The long, rigid wings stretching up to the sky. And walking towards it, the monster himself.

Han’s face fell, while Nova’s turned cold.

In his arms was Rey – unconscious but alive.

Nova’s heart sank as Finn took off running in a desperate attempt to reach her, but to no avail. The ramp closed, and the ships took off, clearing the atmosphere to jump to lightspeed, away to a location unknown.

Han sighed, tightening his hold on his daughter; whether it was to provide or seek comfort did not matter. He just needed to know that she was still there in the face of another tragedy.

“He took her!” Finn skidded to a stop; voice hoarse. “Did you see that? He took her, she’s gone.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know…” Han was distant in his response, suddenly quiet and shaken.

Above them, another ship was coming into land – a Resistance transport, fashioned out of an old B-Wing bomber that had seen better days. Just like most of the resources at their disposal.

BB-8 joined them from the treeline, beeping rapidly in distress.

"I know, buddy,” Nova muttered, touching her hand to his head in comfort. “I know.”

The doors to the carrier opened, letting loose the team of Resistance fighters to scour the field of battle – offer help to survivors. All their faces seemed to light up at the sight of Nova, alive and mostly unharmed.

She managed a small but genuine smile, brushing off any of their concerns for her injuries.

Han let her rest her weight on him as he stood, nervous as the final person stepped off the transport.

Leia faltered when she stepped off the ship, her eyes falling on her husband and daughter – a sight for sore eyes she had not quite expected.

Husband and wife regarded each other for the first time in years, neither saying a word. Words did not seem appropriate, and could not do justice to what either of them felt at the impromptu reunion.

Abruptly, the silence was broken by the arrival of a golden protocol droid – who despite being programmed to understand human behaviour and social queues, always managed to have appalling timing.

“Goodness! Han Solo! It is I, See-Threepio! You probably don’t recognise me because of the red arm.” He rambled on, turning back to Leia. “Look who it is! Did you see who –?”

The older woman raised an eyebrow, an amused smile tugging at her lips.

C-3PO fell quiet, feeling a little foolish. “Excuse me, Prin – General. Sorry. Come on, Beebee-Ate. Quickly.”

The droids departed to give the family their space, chattering about preparing for a debriefing – a prospect that made Nova groan internally.

Han was the one to break the silence, finally finding some words to address Leia. “You changed your hair.”

"Same jacket," Leia deadpanned.

"No, new jacket.”

Chewie stepped in, surrendering to his emotions. He enveloped Leia in a hug, momentarily resulting in her being utterly engulfed by his thick fur. Releasing her, he groaned a phrase or two, earning a warm smile from his friend, before heading back to the ship.

Leia’s gaze then moved to her daughter, taking in her worn appearance. Stained and singed clothes, her limp, her face covered in cuts and bruises, and her eyes – far more tired than usual, and far more haunted.

Nova managed a smile, stepping away from her father to be pulled into a tight hug, which she gratefully returned.

“You’re safe,” Leia murmured, caressing her hair. “How’re you holding up?”

Nova shrugged. “I’ve been better.”

“Poe told me what happened.”

She swallowed. “Is he okay?”

Leia sighed. “He’s alive. The rest would be for him to tell you, but I think seeing you and Beebee-Ate alive will help.”

She nodded. “The map’s still intact and with us. The mission’s completed.”

Leia placed a hand on her shoulder, recognising her daughter’s deflection. “You did good.”

The pair looked back to Han, still stood silently with them. Guilt present in his gaze again as he looked at his family, the Resistance general and captain, seeing how much they had changed in his absence.

“I saw him,” he said. “Leia, I saw our son. He was here.”

Leia’s expression shifted to quiet despair, and Nova hung her head.

Once more, silence consumed the family.

\---

Nova took the co-pilot’s chair for the journey back to D’Qar, wishing to avoid any further questions about her mission from her comrades. She would tell all she was permitted to when she was back in familiar territory.

Her fingers toyed with her pendent as she looked out into hyperspace, a small smile on her lips.

“Something’s got you happy,” Han commented, returning to his place beside her.

“He’s alive,” she murmured; her smile shone brighter at the words.

"Boyfriend?"

She shook her head. “No. We uh – it’s complicated. We’re just friends.”

Han nodded, hiding a smirk, not entirely convinced. “He seems special.”

“He is. Couldn’t wish to fly with anyone better. He was with me on this mission when we –” she cut herself off, swallowing the lump. Her father deserved to know the truth. “When we were captured.”

He went quiet, almost afraid to ask his next question. “Ben?”

“Yeah.”

A silence followed that made the air feel thick; the same feeling that indicted a storm on the horizon.

Nova pushed on through it. “He was there on Jakku. He had us taken. And tortured. But that wasn’t the worst part, not for me anyway. The worst part was that he made us watch, powerless to do anything…”

Han stayed silent, watching his daughter’s eyes flash with a cold flame.

“I don’t think there’s any way back for him now,” she continued. “Not after what he did – forcing himself into our minds, seeing our thoughts, our most private memories.”

She remembered how she had screamed; how violated she had felt by the intrusion.

“You and mom can hope all you want, but I can’t. Not anymore.”

Han pressed a comforting hand to her shoulder. He was relieved when Nova leaned into it – glad he could still provide comfort and make her feel safe, like any good father should. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault.”

He sighed, trying to find a fresh topic that was not quite so bleak. “You changed your hair.”

“Is that your only line?” She managed a raised eyebrow and light chuckle, assisting the shift in conversation. “But yeah, I did. More practical this way.”

"Right. It suits you."

"Thanks."

Han looked back down to the object he had retrieved, thinly wrapped in tattered cloth. “I wanted you to have this, before you disappeared.”

Nova accepted it, pulling back the wrappings to reveal a blaster. It was an older model – an A-180 to be precise – but that did not detract from it being a lethal and versatile choice. She turned it over in her hands, getting accustomed to the balance; noticing the ‘N’ engraved onto the side.

“Not that you needed it,” Han continued. “But ancient weapons are still –”

“– still no match for a good blaster at your side,” she finished with a knowing smirk. “Couldn’t agree more.”

“That’s my girl.”


	15. Chapter 15

Like Takodana, D’Qar was a lush and tranquil world – a fact the Resistance had endeavoured to preserve.

Hills had been dug into to fashion out hangers, joined together by the open tarmac where many X-Wings were setting down, careful to not disturb the surrounding wildlife.

Techs and mechanics swarmed the ships, getting to work on any necessary repairs or refurbishments.

Pilots either assisted them, or assembled to enthuse about the excitement of battle and their victory.

Han escorted Nova and Chewie off the Falcon, giving a few gruff comments about the Falcon to the team that approached to run checks and restoration, before taking them both into the base to get them the medical attention their wounds required.

Finn came last, losing his companions in the bustle. Looking around, he felt more out of his depth than ever, amongst people who up until recently he had been told were the enemy.

He would have felt more comfortable with Nova by his side to vouch for him. Without her, he felt rather vulnerable and exposed.

He made his way across the tarmac, taking in what the new environment had to offer.

X-Wings were still being directed to land; the breeze created by the engines disturbing the grass on the surrounding hills.

One in particular caught his eye – the orange and black paintjob unmissable in a sea of blue and white. Its pilot was climbing down the ladder, dressed in the same orange flight suit as the rest. Reaching the bottom, he removed his helmet, shaking his head to fix his mess of dark curls.

BB-8 zoomed past, knocking into Finn’s leg and nearly tripping up another tech in his haste to reach the pilot, beeping excitedly.

The pilot turned at the commotion, a smile taking over his face at the sight of the droid. He crouched down to be on his level, he chatted back to him, somehow managing to keep up with the rushed string of binary. A moment later, he looked to the side, astonishment taking over his face as he recognised Finn.

Recognition dawned on Finn too, as did astonishment.

“Poe,” he said, setting off into a jog to reach the other man. “Poe Dameron, you’re alive!”

“So are you!” Poe said, meeting him halfway.

The pair collided in a tight hug, then stood back to look at one another, still stunned.

“What happened to you?”

“What happened? I got thrown from the crash, woke up at night – no you, no ship, nothing. Beebee-Ate says that you saved him.”

“No, no, no. It wasn’t just me,” Finn rushed to correct him.

“You completed my mission, Finn. I – that’s my jacket?” The pilot frowned, looking him over in surprised admiration.

“Oh, here.” Finn began to slip it off, only to be stopped.

“No, no. Keep it, it suits you,” Poe beamed, giving Finn’s arm a reassuring smack. “You’re a good man, Finn.”

Finn chuckled. “Great pilots must think alike.”

Poe frowned again. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just that Nova said the exact same thing.”

“Nova’s alive?” Shock and joy overtook the pilot’s face as he murmured: “I knew it!”

Finn’s expression remained grave. While he was glad to have reunited two friends, he had his own friend to rescue – if she was even still alive.

“Poe, I need your help.”

\---

“Well, it’s not broken,” Selah, the medic tasked with attending to Nova commented. “Just some severe bruising to the bone. The bacta patches should have you fixed within two weeks, but take it easy, Captain.”

Nova nodded, rolling the fabric of her trousers over the bandages. The blood and dirt had been cleaned from her face, leaving behind the already healing cuts and bruises.

Leia had already been by to collect her ‘compulsory’ debrief while she was being patched up. Being injured and the General’s daughter excused her of nothing.

“Remind me how this happened,” Han said, pointing to her leg.

“Got shot down in the TIE fighter I stole,” she shrugged.

“Huh.” He smirked, once again impressed by his daring daughter.

A squeal alerted Nova to the imminent arrival of her squadron mate, Jessika Pava. A woman close to her in age, with long black hair and a reputation for going through droids faster than Poe’s drill times.

She launched herself at Nova, arms wrapping tightly around her neck in a hug.

“Thank the Maker, you’re okay!” she exclaimed. “You have no idea the job I’ve had trying to keep Poe on base since he got back. He was unbearable!”

Nova grumbled at the assault, but did not push Jess away. “That’s the only reason?”

“No, of course not! But ugh, I don’t know what I’d do without you, Nova.”

“It’s nice to know I was missed,” she joked.

Jess smiled, glancing over her shoulder. “Think I’d better get going before – I’ll catch up with you later.”

She pointed across the room before darting off as quickly as she had arrived.

Nova frowned, looking to where Jess had pointed for clarity, finding it in an instant.

There stood Poe and Finn – the former looking a little jittery as they spoke with Leia.

The older woman smiled kindly, a knowing look in her eyes. She nodded in Nova’s direction, effectively dismissing Poe from the conversation.

It was a matter of seconds before he was in Nova’s arms, keeping her held securely to his chest, and pressing her back into the cot she was lying on. His hands gripped her jacket, feeling that she was there with him. His head nuzzled into her neck, feeling how warm she was against him.

Alive and well.

Nova shared in his sense of relief – almost as if she could breathe again. Her arms wound around his neck, one hand resting against his head, fingers softly brushing through his dark curls.

“You’re alive,” she whispered against his shoulder.

“So are you.”

“I won’t be if you keep crushing me,” she managed to chuckle.

“Sorry.” He softened his hold, allowing her to sit up in his arms. “I knew you couldn’t be gone.”

“Feeling’s mutual.”

Pulling back, they pressed their foreheads against one another, basking in the comfort of the other’s presence. It was familiar and safe for them both.

Nova ran her thumb over Poe’s cheek, feeling the cuts that would surely scar. She imagined the look would suit him, but still wished to wipe away the pain that had caused them.

Poe moved into her touch, dark eyes scanning her face – the cuts, the bruises. Her eyes, shining with happiness as she stared back at him. Her lips that if she would let him, he would love to capture with his own to show her how much he cared for her.

He had not even noticed Han was stood off to the side, and Nova had quite forgotten it herself.

The older man cleared his throat, looking somewhere between amused and indignant. He raised an expectant eyebrow at his daughter. “Introductions?”

Nova rolled her eyes. “Dad, this is Poe Dameron – my commander, wing-man, and the best damn pilot I’ve ever seen.”

The title prompted Poe to chew his bottom lip. It was rare for Nova to refer to him by his rank, and even then, it was dripping with good-natured insincerity. He felt guilty for how much he enjoyed hearing it from her in such a genuine tone.

“Poe… well, you know who this is.”

“Of course,” he straightened up. “It’s an honour, General Solo.”

“Please, just call me Han.” He shook the young man’s hand. “You Kes and Shara’s kid?”

“Yessir. You served together at Endor.”

“I remember. They were good people.”

Poe nodded, smiling softly.

“So, you been keeping my daughter out of trouble?”

“I’m not the problem,” Nova quipped, giving Poe a pointed look.

Snap Wexley, another of their squadron mates, interrupted before Poe could protest. An older, dark haired and bearded pilot, he too was dressed in his full flight suit, prepared to jump in an X-Wing at a moment’s notice.

“I’m heading out to fly recon now,” he informed the commander. “Find out what exactly the First Order’s created that they could use to wipe out an entire system.”

“Alright. Let’s find out what we’re up against. And watch yourself out there.”

“You know me.” He shot Nova a warm smile. “Glad you’re back, Organa. We missed you.”

“Thanks, Wexley.”

He left for the stairs.

“Alright,” Nova grumbled. “I can’t lie here much longer; I need air.”

She sat up with a groan, carefully planting her feet on the floor, testing the waters of her weight. The medication and bacta had started to take effect, alleviating most of the pain, allowing her to walk comfortably.

“Want me to come with you?” Poe asked.

“Wouldn’t want you to be anywhere else,” she joked. “Besides, I have questions.”

He chuckled. “So do I.”

Before she could reach the stairs back to the surface, Han caught her by the arm. He pulled her close to prevent his words from being overheard. His brown eyes held an amused and knowing look, and he quirked an eyebrow. “Not your boyfriend?”

She matched his raised brow. “No.”

“You might want to tell him that.” He smiled, patted her shoulder, and departed to speak to Leia.

Nova shook it off, trying to loosen the fresh tension in her body, pushing the thoughts from her mind. But despite her best efforts, they kept clawing their way back in – and if she was being honest with herself, she was not as against them as she used to be.

Something was changing.


	16. Chapter 16

The pilots were sat in the grass atop one of the hangers, leaning back in their elbows. They had ditched their heavier layers – Poe his flight vest and Nova her jacket – further increasing their feelings of comfort. For that moment they were not two Resistance fighters ready for action at the drop of a credit, but simply two friends enjoying one another’s company.

“Why did you get to have all the excitement?” Poe said in mock annoyance as Nova finished recounting her tale of escape.

“It was my turn,” she chuckled. “And it wasn’t all fun.”

“Who said anything about fun?” he deadpanned. “How you holding up?”

“I’m holding. Can’t really tell past that. I’ve been ignoring it,” she admitted. Her defence mechanism was so default it took her a while to notice it had even been deployed. “You?”

Poe shrugged. “You know me. I’m always okay.”

“Poe,” she gently chided. “you don’t have to lie to me.”

“I know.” He grew quiet, keeping his gaze on the sky. “I’ve been ignoring it too.”

Nova could hardly blame him. Try as he might to hide it, she could feel how shaken their stay aboard the Finalizer had left him. His snarky attitude had remained unbruised, but his confidence and faith had been tested.

“It’s not your fault, Poe.”

“Doesn’t matter now,” he sighed. “The mission’s done. You and Beebee-Ate are safe.”

Nova nodded. “So are you.”

“Yeah.” They lapsed into silence, a tension filling the air that was already thick with heat. Discussing their mission was no longer appropriate.

Hesitantly, Poe inched his hand closer to hers, needing to reassure himself. That he could reach her. Hold her if she would let him. To remind himself that she was there. And real. And safe.

It felt as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders when their hands touched.

Nova too felt a sense of relief, knowing he was beside her.

She found peace in examining his face. It calmed her inner conflict – the war between her head and heart. Play it safe. Or risk it all. How long would it take to tear them apart either way?

“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you,” she muttered, looking back to the grass. “I didn’t stop him when I had the chance…”

“Hey. If it’s not my fault it not yours either,” Poe said.

“But –”

“No,” he cut her off. “Nova, no one expected you to kill your own brother.”

“I wasn’t strong enough. I was too emotional – no control.”

“And being emotional is a bad thing?”

“Yes,” she snapped. “It gets in the way. Maybe then I would have been a better Jedi – focused on learning rather than trying to prove I was better than my brother. No one’s going to fail just so you can succeed, after all.”

“You really do sound like your mother sometimes,” Poe mused, more to himself than to her.

Nova rolled her eyes. She understood the intended sentiment, but would rather avoid being compared to her mother – or anyone in her family for that matter. Upholding that legacy was a daunting task she had failed at in numerous ways.

She let out a long breath, sitting up and drawing her legs closer to her chest. “I don’t want to feel like this…”

Poe sighed, looking for a fresh topic of conversation. Something significantly more light-hearted. “What do you plan to do when we win?”

“If,” Nova reflexively corrected.

He remained undeterred. “When.”

She paused, considering the question. “I don’t know. I don’t really see a future for myself outside of this war…”

“You don’t expect to survive this?”

Nova shook her head. “I don’t even know how I’ve survived this long. I don’t deserve this.”

“You really should give yourself more credit,” Poe countered. “Come on, you’ve saved countless lives – you’ve more than made up for everything. You do deserve more than this.”

She sighed. “Well, what exactly do I have to go back to?”

He could not stop himself from glancing down at their hands, still resting against one another.

Nova noticed. “Stop it.”

Her voice was soft, her words losing their usual command. Because despite what she tried to convince herself and Poe, it was the last thing she wanted him to do. She wanted to stay like that forever if she could.

Normally, it would have scared her. But after everything that mission had subjected her to, maybe it was not so bad.

She chewed the inside of her cheek, returning her gaze to Poe’s face, finding his expression kind and gentle – undemanding. Strangely alluring to her.

She could not bring herself to look him in the eyes, well aware that he was watching her. Testing the waters as he glanced to her lips.

They were unbelievably close, something neither of them could ignore. They were like two moons trapped in orbit; gravity pulling them closer and closer until they would inevitably collide.

Their eyes fluttered closed as their noses brushed against each other – bracing for impact, when –

“Nova! Poe! –”

Nova gasped, pulling back quickly, averting her gaze from Poe. She swallowed the lump in her throat, almost certain it could actually be her heart.

Poe was slower to move, sighing heavily through his nose before turning to look at Finn – his tone a little terse. “What is it?”

“The recon flight’s back,” he said. “You two are needed.”

Nova nodded, getting to her feet. She snatched up her jacket from the grass, brushing passed Finn without a word, earning her a confused look from him. She felt like she was shaking, despite appearing to be as steady as a rock. The moment replaying over in her mind as she made her way below to the base to prepare.

Conflict with the First Order was inevitable now. Not a moment could be wasted.

Poe watched her leave with a heavy heart.

"You alright?"

He shrugged. “We should get going. Don’t wanna keep ‘em waiting.”

Finn stopped him before he caught leave as Nova had. “You shouldn’t worry.”

“About what? The First Order? The war?” he half snapped. “Cause I don’t have that luxury anymore.”

“About Nova.”

“You don’t know her like I do.”

“I know, but…” he was struggling to put it into words. It was something he had never seen or experienced before, but he knew that it was something special. Something real between the two pilots, plain as day. “The way she talked about you on the Falcon… you mean a lot to her. A lot.”

Poe sighed, regaining his composure, even finding comfort in Finn’s words. ‘Just… give her space,’ he reminded himself. It was the way things were.

“Come on.”


	17. Chapter 17

Below the surface of D’Qar, the Resistance had assembled in the main conference room. The inner most circle was made up of their leadership – the older, veteran leaders of the last war, and the young captains and commanders of their defence squadrons. Finn too joined this inner circle, earning himself such a position amongst them with invaluable his inside information.

“The scan data from Snap’s reconnaissance flight confirms Finn’s report,” Poe said, leaning against the conference table.

Nova stood beside him, now dressed identical to him in her orange flight suit. Arms folded across her chest; her eyes narrowed at the hologram.

“They’ve somehow created a hyper lightspeed weapon built within the planet itself,” Snap elaborated.

“A laser cannon?” a younger major named Brance questioned.

“We’re not sure how to describe a weapon of this scale,” Snap said grimly.

“It’s another Death Star,” Major Ematt – a man among the older leaders – piped up in horror.

“I wish that were the case, Major,” Poe said, his expression becoming tight. He tapped the controls to produce an imagine of the first dreaded super weapon.

“This was the Death Star,” the commander observed. Another control was pressed, and a second hologram was produced. “And this, is Starkiller Base.”

A murmur of horror covered the room like a blanket as the holograms appeared side by side, with Starkiller dwarfing the Death Star in size – it was almost laughable. Next to the icy planet, the Death Star looked like a mere moon.

Han seemed unphased, offering up a sarcastic remark to ease the tension. “So, it’s big.”

“How is it possible to power a weapon of that size?” Admiral Ackbar asked. He had seen his share of super weaponry – being among the renowned leaders from the Battle of Endor – but had never seen anything like Starkiller.

No one had.

“It uses the power of the sun,” Finn explained. “As the weapon is charged, the sun is drained until it disappears.”

Nova surveyed the holographic threat with a frown.

Silence fell, and a collective breath seemed to be held as an officer pushed her way through to Leia. Her expression was grave as she handed the General a datacard.

Leia’s face fell upon reading it. “The First Order, they’re charging the weapon again now. Our system is the next target.”

Another fearful murmur circulated the Resistance.

"Oh my. Without the Republic fleet, we're doomed," C-3PO said.

Nova’s heart began to sink. They had more pilots than ships, which was not saying much. Their fleet of fighters – the only ships even remotely capable to taking on such a weapon – was dangerously small. Her and Poe losing their ships on Jakku had not helped the issue.

The odds were not in their favour.

“Okay, how do we blow it up?” Han said. “There’s always a way to do that.”

“Han’s right,” Leia agreed in an instant, catching him off guard.

“The energy from a sun is a lot to hold and keep stable,” Nova said, looking around her higher-ups and technicians. “How are they doing that?”

“In order for that amount of power to be contained,” Admiral Statura supplied, “that base would need some kind of thermal oscillator.”

“There is one,” Finn said, springing to action beside Poe. “Precinct 47 – here.”

He pointed to the placement on the hologram, and it zoomed in to show the oscillator. Hexagonal in shape and wide in diameter, it protruded from the holographic surface of the planet, like the perfect target.

"If we can destroy that oscillator, it might destabilise the core and cripple the weapon," Statura said.

"Maybe the whole planet," Nova agreed.

"We'll go in there, we'll hit that oscillator with everything we’ve got," Poe said, looking around to his fellow pilots – all of them in agreement.

"They have defensive shields that our ships cannot penetrate," Ackbar said.

"We disable the shields," Han cut in instantly, turning to Finn. "Kid, you worked there, what d’you got?"

Finn did not miss a beat. “I can do it.”

Han smirked. “I like this guy.”

“I can disable the shields. But I have to be there on the planet.”

“We'll get you there.”

“Han, how?” Leia asked.

“If I told you, you wouldn't like it,” he admitted, getting an unsurprised look from her in response.

“So, we disable the shields, take out the oscillator and we blow up their big gun,” Poe said. He made it sound so easy – like it was just another with almost certain success.

His hope and energy had certainly survived the First Order.

Chewie growled an affirmation.

"Alright. Let's go!"

The crowd dispersed.

\---

Nova and Jess dashed across the tarmac, gloves and helmets in hand. Despite the circumstances, Nova had been raring to get back into a more familiar cockpit.

“We had Beren get one of our spares up and running for you,” Jess explained. “All kinks ironed out.”

On cue, the mechanic in question appeared from behind the ship, wrench in hand. She a young girl – younger than Nova at least. Dark hair pulled back into a ponytail to show darker eyes.

“She’s ready to fly, Captain,” she beamed. “Just starting pre-flight checks now.”

“Beren, you’re a star,” Nova said. She climbed the ladder, a rush coming over her as she was able to drop her gloves and helmet into her seat. While piloting the Millennium Falcon had been fun, piloting smaller, more agile ships was her preference. And being certain all her systems were working perfectly was a plus.

She found her gaze wandering to where the Falcon sat at the other end of the tarmac, the three-man crew busying themselves with preparations. She considered them a moment from her vantage point, then slid back down to the ground, landing with a soft thud.

She approached at a purposeful jog, finding her parents together, locked in a tight and silent embrace. She slowed, stopping at a respectful distance so as not to disturb the precious peace.

Han noticed her first, giving her a kind smile. He stayed back as Leia pulled away from him, moving to talk to their daughter, as both mother and General.

“You ready?”

Nova managed a smile. “Yeah. Go in there, blow the oscillator, home before the moons rise.”

Leia placed a firm hand on her shoulder – a gesture that seemed to physically pull down the young woman’s walls in only the way a mother could. To gently reveal the truth.

“Mom, I’ll be okay,” she said, persisting in her façade of confidence and certainty. “But if I don’t make it back –”

“Don’t say that –”

“No, but if I don’t,” she continued. “I love you, Mom. And I’m sorry I failed.”

Leia sighed, a heavy but soft sound as she looked up at her daughter. “You didn’t fail. Everyone makes mistakes. What’s important is you don’t make the same one twice, and that you don’t let them define you.”

Nova nodded, swallowing the lump forming in her throat. Her boots – already scuffed from wear – idly kicked at the ground.

Leia looked at her with only pride and love. Then, she pulled her in for a hug, arms looping around her shoulders to carefully force Nova to lean down – she had inherited her height from her father, leaving her standing taller than average, and taller than her mother.

The embrace broken; she gave her a respectful nod – now her leader. “Captain.”

“General,” Nova returned with a two fingered salute.

Leia departed with a smile, heading back to the command centre.

Han stepped in to take her place. A proud smile adorned his face, reaching up to his fading brown eyes. He was uncertain when he opened his arms to her, a feeling that dissipated when she closed the space between them, resting her head against his shoulder.

“Be careful,” she murmured.

“Yes, Captain,” he said. “You be careful too.”

“I will.”

He planted a kiss to the top of her head. “I love you, kid. And I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me.”

“You’re here now,” she said.

“But you don’t need me now, do you?”

She paused, considering her words. Letting the next of her scars heal. “I’m not opposed to you being here.”

Han smiled. “I can work with that. Oh, and one more thing.”

He looked past her, nodding in the direction of a black and orange marked X-Wing.

“That pilot of yours – Dameron – he’s a good guy.”

“I know.”

“Figure out whatever it is you two’ve got going on. It doesn’t have to be complicated.”

“We’re at war, there’s nothing but complicated,” she rebuked.

“This doesn’t have to be,” he repeated. “Just – think about it.”

“Okay,” she conceded. All she had to do was think, not do. She was not yet ready to act in that area. Just thinking about thinking about it made her feel strange.

“Okay,” he sighed, turning to head back towards the Falcon. “Now, you’d better get to your ship. We’ve got a super weapon to destroy.”

Nova hesitated; the word almost having to tear itself from her throat. “Dad –”

Han paused, looking back to her. “Hm?”

“I love you too.”

He smiled softly, and the pair parted ways for their mission.


	18. Chapter 18

Nova sighed, doing her best to push away the sense of dread that suddenly crawled through her skin. It felt so alive she imagined she could carve it out of herself if she so wished. A dark feeling of foreboding settled in her chest that she also tried to ignore.

She made her way to Finn, who had finished carefully juggling what looked to be explosives. Instead, he stood, looking somewhat nervous as she approached.

“You got a plan?” she asked, expectant and serious.

“Not yet,” he admitted. “Glad I have time to come up with one.”

“Better think quickly,” she said.

He nodded.

Nova fell quiet, taking a moment to scrutinize him. Read him as well as she was able. There was more he was not telling her, that he was trying to hide. More that was not exactly tricky for her to decipher.

“You’re really going for Rey, aren’t you?”

Finn felt uncomfortable under her gaze – like she had accused him of a crime. His tongue failed him, and he stayed silent.

“Just, do us a favour and get that shield down first,” she said, tone tinged with ice. “We only get one shot at this.”

“I know. And I will,” he said. “I promise.”

Nova nodded solemnly. “Good luck.”

“You too.”

She could only hope he would keep his word. She had little reason to doubt him after all he had done for them, for her, but the thought still lingered. All she had to assure herself with was that he had no motive to betray them now – betray the Resistance, and he and Rey were as good as dead, if she was not already.

Jess was waiting for her at her ship; leaning against it, arms folded over her chest, looking expectant. By her boots was a droid, a BB unit, freshly painted in blue and white.

Nova had to laugh. “Not onto another droid already, Testor?”

From the rear of the ship, Beren failed to stifle a snort.

Jess rolled her eyes. “Actually, they’re for you. Since you had to leave Seebee on Castilon with that spy, you’re in need of a co-pilot. This is Beebee-Six.”

BB-6 whirred out their own greeting, happily moving away from Jess to circle their new master’s ankles.

Nova crouched down to their level, resting her hand atop their head. “Thanks, Jess.”

Jess gave a salute. “I’ll see you up there.”

She left for her own ship, meeting up with Karé on route.

Nova stood back to her full height. “Come on then, Bee. Let’s get up there.”

Beebee-Six whistled and whirred, rolling back to take their place aboard Nova’s X-Wing.

Nova climbed the ladder, dropping herself into her cockpit with ease. Once situated, she began her final preparations - ensure for herself that all systems were online, and that BB-6 was situated. Tie her hair up into a rudimentary low bun to sit comfortably beneath her helmet. She pulled on her gloves, flexing her fingers inside the black leather.

“You’re good to go, Captain,” Beren called from below. “And Commander Dameron’s here to see you.”

“Thank you, Beren.”

Leaning over the side, she caught sight of Poe’s mop of dark curls, and his brown eyes looking up at her with a certain smile. With a good-natured roll of her eyes, she nodded for him to come up.

“Lazy,” he chuckled, reaching the top of the ladder.

“Don’t make me push you off,” she replied.

“You wouldn’t.”

She shrugged, the glint of a smile in her eyes and a playful smirk on her lips.

“Hey, uh… maybe don’t mention this to Beebee-Ate, but –”

“But what?”

Poe sighed, momentarily dropping his gaze to where his hands held the side of her ship. Nova thought she saw the ghost of a blush on his cheeks, but told herself she was mistaken.

“Sure, I missed having him as my co-pilot, but I missed having you as my wing-woman more. Flying into danger without you, it felt wrong. It felt like I was missing something up there.”

“Well, if it helps, it didn’t reflect in your performance.”

“Thanks.”

A heavy pause followed, reality setting in. The odds were stacked against them higher than ever before, it was impossible not to think about. Never had they thought they would face such a threat – it seemed too close to the stories their parents had told them, and yet it was real and present.

Nova’s smile faded.

“Hey,” Poe said softly. His eyes caught sight of the cut to her hairline – healing now, but serving as a brutal reminder to him. His expression fell, the disappointment in himself clawing its way back into his chest. “We’re gonna win this. They couldn’t break us before, they sure as hell can’t break us now, right?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, wringing the positivity out of herself like a damp washcloth. “Now we have our droids and ships, we’re unstoppable.”

Poe managed a half-hearted smile. “Right.”

“Just… don’t do anything stupid.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean.”

“I thought we agreed to not talk about it?”

“Don’t remember agreeing to that.”

“That crash must have knocked it from your memory.”

“Oh, shut up.”

The playful bickering brough bright smiles back to their faces. It was moments like those that made them both forget the evil in the galaxy. All the war and hate and fear faded to an afterthought. The only thing that mattered was how they felt in the moment – secure and content. A feeling only they could elicit inside one another.

It was special.

It was theirs.

It did not need a name or a label, and Nova did not want to give it one. It was simply theirs. That was the only name she felt it needed. Nondescript, it could mean whatever she wanted it to; and that meaning she assigned to it was everything but its true nature.

That it could in fact be love.

She threw her arms around him, feeling unable to look him in his handsome face any longer. She would not let it become an addiction, despite her heart begging for it. Her father’s words replayed over in her mind, as did her own.

But she could not think about it now. Not when so much was at stake.

“Don’t die,” she mumbled into his shoulder.

“I won’t if you won’t.”

The alarm signalling for all pilots to board their ships and prepare for take-off blared across the base, sparking a fresh flurry of movement below. Normally, the sound was a comfort to Nova, providing her a sense of purpose. Instead in that moment she found it loud and offensive.

She was prepared to pull away – to let Poe slip from her arms and away to his own ship. They had a job to do, sentiment could not distract them from it. She leaned back from the hug, readying her mind for the field, or rather sky, of battle.

Poe on the other hand, was not ready to sacrifice such a moment. Not when he was aware – now more than ever – that it could be his last chance. To show her how deeply he cared, and would always care, for her.

Nova was too caught of guard to properly react to the kiss, not that she was given much of a chance to. It was over the moment it had begun. A three second display of his devotion to her – reminding her that he still had hope.

He was leaving by the time her eyes fluttered open, her mind reeling. It felt like she had been ripped from a dream; one unlike any other she had had. It was a dream of peace.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she coughed to clear it. Setting her helmet on her head, the visor slid into place, focusing her vision on her ship’s controls.

All other thoughts were forced to the back of her mind.

Soon enough, she was given the all-clear for departure, her white and grey X-Wing joining the swarm of identical ships breaking through the atmosphere for open space. The light of D’Qar behind them, they cleared the planetary ring.

A tech accompanied each pilot from the control room, clearing them and giving them readouts of their systems from their screens.

“All teams, altitude confirmed,” Poe said. “Hold for jump to lightspeed, on my go.”

“Copy that,” Nova replied.

“Roger, lightspeed,” Ello Asty, an Abednedo pilot, confirmed.

“Is there any other speed?” Snap muttered, rhetorical and dry.

The fleet made the jump, the stars becoming streaks of spinning blue and white around them.


	19. Chapter 19

“All wings, report in,” Poe commanded, wanting to get procedure over with as soon as possible before they reached their target.

“Blue Leader, standing by,” Snap said.

“Blue Three, standing by,” Jess said.

“Red Four, standing by,” a younger pilot named Bastian said.

“Blue Nine, standing by,” Nova said.

“Red Six, standing by,” Asty said.

“Blue Two, standing by,” another young pilot, Yolo Ziff said.

Many others followed, with a variety of tones. The younger pilots were seemingly eager, a hint of excitement in their voices for the coming battle, being too young to know the horrors they could face. The elders of the group were quieter, a hint of dread in their tones, stilling themselves for the battle ahead.

Nova was among them, despite being among the younger ones – born three years post the second Death Star’s destruction.

Destroying a large space station was one thing. Destroying an entire planet with only a rather small fleet of X-Wings was another.

“Everyone clear on the plan?” Poe said.

“Yessir,” came the reply, all voices layered atop one another in the comms channel.

“Good.”

Nova exhaled a nervous breath. She could be patient, but the knowledge of who was down on the planet’s surface had her on edge. She had confidence in their skills, but would it be enough?

All they could do was wait for the signal.

“Okay, now,” Jess piped up. “Nova, about you and P–”

“We are not having this conversation, Jess,” Nova cut her off. “With or without the entire fleet listening in.”

A collective chuckle went around the pilots, as well as a few disappointed groans. Jess clearly was not the only one dying for answers about the two best pilots in the Resistance.

Jess was undeterred. “Poe –”

Poe chuckled. “I’m gonna have to agree with Captain Organa. We’re not doing this now.”

Another laugh circulated the group, this time accompanied by a whoop.

“What’s with the formalities, Dameron?” Snap asked.

“Yeah. You never call Nova ‘Captain’,” Jess added.

“Not when you’re around,” Nova muttered, just loud enough for the comms to pick it up clearly.

“Oh, I see.” A smirk was evident in Snap’s voice.

An even louder fit of laugher broke out at Snap’s implication.

If they had been on the ground, Nova was certain she would have hit him. As it was, she grimaced, tugger at her gloves as a distraction. She had accepted long ago that her relationship with Poe, no matter what it was, was a talking point amongst many Resistance members – something that earned her many dirty looks from newer recruits who had taken a liking to Poe.

Before, she had been able to brush it off with good humour. But now, as she called her own feelings into question, she found the jokes harder to take.

“Zip it, Wexley,” she warned, her voice low.

Poe could feel the discomfort in her voice. At least their kiss remained a secret from the rest – he hoped she could at least find comfort in that. “Alright, let’s focus up.”

Everyone settled down into silence again, the blanket of anxiety returning to smother their spirits. They did not have to wait much longer for the order to come – sending them into action before they could become too restless.

The order brought Nova some momentary relief, but it was a moment that could not be savoured or dwelled upon.

“Red Squad, Blue Squad, take my lead,” Poe ordered, slipping into his role of leader as seamlessly as the suns rose on any planet.

A thread of acknowledgments followed, and one by one, the fleet left the safety of hyperspace. The tunnel of white and blue jumped back to black and silver as they arrived in the new system.

The planet that had since been turned into Starkiller Base, was large and cold, and almost blinding white from space as it was covered by thick snow. A deep trench had been carved into the equator on either side of the laser cannon itself, like a deep mouth stretched into a dark and menacing grin.

The fleet entered the atmosphere without opposition, speeding down closer and closer to the surface. Coordinates set, they banked around a snow-topped mountain range, finding the oscillator set deep into the planet’s surface.

“Almost in range!” Poe said. “Hit the target dead centre, as many runs as we can get!”

“Approaching target,” Snap confirmed.

“Guns are hot,” Nova added. “Use proton torpedoes, it’s the best shot we’ve got.”

“Alright, let’s light it up!”

The X-Wings went into a steep dive, down and down and down towards their target. Then, before they could scrape the surface, they opened fire, wave after wave of torpedoes hitting the oscillator dead on. each fighter pulled up through the flames, letting their shields take the heat as they retreated to the sky.

“Direct hit!” Bastian laughed triumphantly.

“But no damage!” Asty countered.

“Yeah, we gotta keep hitting it. Another bombing run.” Poe ordered. He glanced to the sky, seeing the steady stream of energy being pulled from the sun, the sky turning grey as the light began to fade. “Remember, when the sun is gone, the weapon will be ready to fire. But as long as there’s light, we’ve got a chance!”

From behind her, BB-6 emitted a series of alarmed beeps.

Nova followed their warning, spotting the incoming threat – dozens of TIE fighters heading their way, and vastly outnumbering their forces. She huffed out a breath through her nose, piloting her ship into a sharp loop to face the oncoming storm. The familiar adrenaline coursed through her veins.

“Guys, we’ve got a lot of company!” Poe yelled.

All too quickly the opposing fleets were engaging each other in a dogfight, passing through each other’s formations with a barrage of green and red firepower.

Nova’s eyes narrowed, gloved fingers squeezing the trigger to let lose on the enemy ships. She guided her ship through the flames and debris with ease, looping around to provide cover to her fellow pilots.

The fleet was already only two thirds of what it had been when they left D’Qar. Another assault on the oscillator was desperately needed, but it was impossible for even a single pilot to break from the group without being tailed by numerous TIEs fighters.

“I got one behind me!” Snap called. “See it?”

“Yeah, I’m on it,” Jess assured him.

“Nova, watch yourself!” Bastian warned.

Nova swerved just in time to avoid the projectile headed her way, but the pilot beside her was not so lucky. “Furillo’s been hit!”

“Watch out for ground fire,” Snap said.

The sky had darkened considerably, heralding their imminent loss of time. It also made it much harder to spot incoming TIEs and other projectiles from the ground – let alone their source.

Nova flew low, catching sight of one of the heavy ground cannons. There was no way they would be able to get close to the oscillator for another bombing run while they were functional.

Now, they were down to only half their original numbers.

“Guys, we’re running low on time!” Jess noted frantically.

“We need to execute another attack, now!” Poe said. “Nova, you any ideas?”

Nova hissed through her teeth, mind working overtime to formulate a plan. “Red Squad, go for the cannons and TIEs. Keep them off us while we go in!”

“Copy that, Captain!”

“Blue Squad on Commander Dameron’s lead!”

The fighters split up, each going for their designated targets. And on Poe’s command, Blue Squadron looped around and up, descending on the oscillator once more like hawks on their prey.

Nova was among those in the rear of the group. Her finger hovered over the trigger as she came in closer and closer, waiting for her moment to strike.

She had just come into range when it hit.

The sudden ache of loss and anger spread throughout her body like a virus. It felt like someone had stabbed her right through her chest, and her heart was being pulled out through the hole mercilessly. Her brown eyes glassed over, her mind went blank, and her body stilled.

Everything around her – everything she saw, everything she could here – faded out to nothingness. She could not see how close she was to the ground, and in that moment she did not much care. All she could feel was the pain of loss pulling at her through the Force.


	20. Chapter 20

_The ground below her was rough and cold, but the air was hot and thick, smelling unmistakeably of burning wood. The sky was obscured by a blanket of black smoke, the only light coming from the flames that now engulfed every structure around, orange flames reaching up to the sky like desperate hands._

_Nova’s eyes snapped open, and she pushed herself to her feet. Her legs shook as she stood, coughing and raising an arm to shield her face from the smoke. Her heart was beating a hundred miles an hour in her chest._

_It was a scene she had lived a thousand times in her nightmares, every time the same. No mystery – just a horrible memory. A reminder of where the woman she was now had come from._

_She forced herself to make it through the smoke, standing tall as she reached the other side. The air was clearer there – easier to see through and breathe._

_She glanced to the temple, the place she had called a home of sorts for eleven years of her life, now set ablaze. There was no use wasting tears over it – it had hardly been a happy place for her._

_Her body froze where she stood, there but not there as her gaze moved to the party of four, three standing, one fallen._

_The young Twi’lek lay motionless, her once beautiful body now cruelly mutilated by scars and burns. what blue skin was still unharmed and visible seemed to glow in the light. She was face down on the ground, but Nova knew her jade green eyes were still open._

_Her name had been Elara. She had been one of Nova’s closest friends at the temple. Now, she was only a tarnished body. Beaten and broken by someone Nova had trusted – at least to some extent._

_Two girls stood above the body, both equally dishevelled in appearance. They looked similar, both with fair skin and brown hair, but not so similar that one could mistake them for twins or even sisters._

_The first was the taller of the pair, and the oldest – though not by much. Her hair was fluffy, reaching comfortably to her chest, and styled to stay out of her eyes. She stood firm, carrying herself with a certain level of pride and control compared to her companion._

_The second was far less controlled. She was shorter – though not by much – and her hair was longer and messier, falling out of the rough updo she had attempted to put it in. Her eyes burned with anger, her breathing heavy as she glowered at their opponent._

_The first girl held the second’s hand tightly, keeping her by her side silently._

_Before them stood a boy. Taller and older than them both with black hair that nearly reached his shoulders. His eyes also held rage, though it was far more ferocious than that of the girl’s. in his right hand he gripped his ignited lightsaber, the clean blue blade offensive against the orange tinted light._

_Nova tensed as she looked at him._

_The second girl found her voice, her free hand clenched into a tight fist._

_Nova looked down at her own hands, not at all surprised to see the gesture replicated. She had grown used to seeing herself in her nightmares, she knew how it played out._

_“How could you do this, Ben?” she spat at her brother, voice shaking and catching in her throat. Her breathing became heavier with every breath, the rage continuing to build and build._

_“Nova, don’t,” the first said, squeezing her hand._

_A tear was pulled to Nova’s eye as she remembered the sensation. Only once had it failed to calm her; the moment she was now forced to relive._

_“Nova you don’t understand,” Ben said. He sounded desperate._

_“No, I don’t. So, tell me, brother, why?”_

_“Luke, he – he lied to me! To all of us! This temple, this order, it’s all a lie! He tried to kill me!”_

_“No.” She held her ground in the face of his outburst, her voice level._

_“Yes,” he said. “He said I was his prized student, but he was holding me back! He was holding you back too!”_

_Nova faltered for the briefest second, swallowing hard. Not once had he expressed this sentiment towards her before, not once had he shown he had faith in her – at least not in recent years when it would have meant something._

_One thing was for certain – the temple had torn the two Solos apart._

_“You could be so much more!” Ben urged. He raised his empty hand to her, one last, perhaps desperate attempt to keep something of his past. “Come with me.”_

_His eyes remained fixed on her face. The malice in his look had faded for the moment as he reached for his sister._

_Nova stood frozen in shock, her eyes wide. Even if she had wanted to, she could not bring herself to believe him. Any slivers of trust that remained between the two siblings had been lost. He had fallen too far from her grasp, and she was not about to follow him._

_Her mind was made up. “Fenna, follow my lead.”_

_Fenna’s head snapped to look at her. “What? What do you mean?”_

_“NOW!”_

_Ben swiftly retracted his hand and stepped back._

_Nova had dropped Fenna’s hand in favour of freeing her lightsaber from its place on her belt. Igniting it, she twirled it over her head, bringing it to rest across her front in her duel-ready stance._

_Fenna followed suit, their matching green blades illuminating their faces in the shadows of smoke. The deadly hum filled their ears._

_Ben pulled himself up, gripping his own weapon tighter. He was the first to swing._

_Nova’s instincts took over as she blocked him, gritting her teeth as they pushed against each other. She knew she no match for him, physically or in the force, but in that moment she did not care. She had to try and do what she felt needed to be done._

_He needed to be stopped._

_She elected to kick him in the stomach to push them back apart._

_Ben stumbled, grunting from the hit. It did not take long to steady himself, a new anger burning in his eyes. “You’ve brought this upon yourself, Nova. I don’t want to kill you, but if I have to…”_

_“Just you try it!” Fenna spat, swinging her lightsaber._

_Ben blocked her with little effort. “Stay out of this, Fenna!”_

_“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” she retorted, going in for another attack._

_Nova joined her, and together they threw everything they had at him. All their strength and training, though it was starting to slip. All sense of precision and technique had been forgotten. Their fighting style was scrappy, driven by emotions: hatred, anger, fear._

_Ben’s was just as unrefined – fast and malicious. Reaching out through the force, he was able to push Nova back, knocking her to the ground._

_She rolled across the rough surface, her head spinning as it hit the stone. When she came to a stop, she groaned, lifting her hand to her cheek. She winced as she found a bleeding cut._

_Fenna and Ben continued to duel, neither one letting up or backing down for a second. Their lightsabers clashed, blue on green, the sound ringing in Nova’s ears._

_With a grumble, she got to her feet, reigniting her lightsaber as she charged back to the fight._

_Ben turned his full attention to her, blocking the blow she sent his way as she reached him. They battled back and forth until he acquired a firm upper hand, knocking her back once more. He swung at her again._

_Nova had to jump aside to dodge the blow, dropping her lightsaber in the process. She reached for it, desperately trying to pull it to herself, but Ben was faster._

_He pulled it to him, dropping it back to the floor. Then, with his own, he sliced it clean in half, leaving it beyond Nova’s repair. The kyber crystal inside released a few final sparks, before dying away into the darkness._

_Powerless, Nova pushed herself away from her brother. Every muscle in her body was starting to scream. She was out of luck and hope. She had lost._

_Head bowed, she waited for the killing strike to land._

_But it never came._

_A loud cry caused her eyes to snap back open, and a scream to tear itself from her throat. “NO!”_

_Fenna stood above her, the blue blade of Ben’s lightsaber protruding straight through her stomach. She looked at Nova, her mouth moving to speak, but no sound coming out. Tears rolled down her cheeks as her eyes closed, and her body fell limp._

_Nova was still screaming, gathering her fallen companion into her lap as everything faded – shifting to something new._

_It was a scene Nova had never seen before._

_She was standing on a platform, overlooking a bridge that went over a large drop. The surrounding space was large, open, and cold. Everything was dark; no light coming in from outside, despite the cold wind the whipped at her back and her hair._

_Her hands gripped the railings, knuckles turning white as she observed the two figures on the bridge._

_He was there again. Ben. Stood face to face with her father – their father. And then he ignited his lightsaber, the jagged, unrefined blade of red going straight through their father._

_Again, she screamed, forced to watch as his body fell from the bridge. Going down, down, down into nothingness._

_Han Solo, her father, was dead._


	21. Chapter 21

Nova’s scream came out as nothing more than a strangled gasp; reality crashing back into her. She hit the controls hard, dragging her X-Wing back up before it could collide with the oscillator, heading back for open sky.

The last light of the sun had been stolen, leaving them in darkness. Most of the battle had moved away from the surface and up to the very edge of the atmosphere. The planet was now bathed in hues of indigo and black.

“Nova,” Poe’s demand startled her over the comms. “What the hell –?”

“I’m fine. I’m fine,” she repeated, as loud as her dry throat would permit. The two TIE fighters she left decimated in her wake helped to prove her point. Her ability to pilot had not been compromised as of yet.

The same could not be said for many other pilots, as more and more were being shot down.

“We just lost R-1,” Karé Kun, a fellow Black Squadron member reported.

“We’re overwhelmed,” Jess said. “What do we do? This isn’t working.”

Nova forced herself to glance down at the planet’s surface, hope fading faster than the light. Then, saw something – an explosion on the surface. A small ball of orange flame shining through the darkness and to the sky like a beacon. It was small, but it was something.

“I’ve got something,” she said, drawing the attention of others. “There’s a new hole in that oscillator!”

“Looks like our friends got in,” Yolo said.

Poe did not need to think twice before jumping to action. “Red Four, Red Six, cover us!”

The two pilots pulled in beside him, already heading back down closer to the surface despite the swarm of TIE fighters.

“Everybody else, hit the target hard! Give it everything you got!”

With Poe at the forefront of the offensive, Nova, Snap and Jess followed him down into the trench, closely flanked by Asty and Bastian.

Instantly, they were faced with a barrage of fire from both sides; TIEs on their tails and heavy cannons lining the trench. There was little room for manoeuvre, the X-Wings being forced to fly single file down the tight gap.

“I need some help here! I need some help!” Poe yelled, dodging and weaving between the onslaught from the cannons and fighters.

“I’m working on it!” Nova called back, throwing her fighter sideways to avoid a direct hit. The lower half of her port-side engine, sparking a string of muttered profanities to leave her mouth.

Bastian got in before her. “I’m coming it!”

Everything was becoming muddled over the comms as they drew closer to their target. Ahead of Nova, Asty’s X-Wing took a crititcal hit, sending it careening into the wall of the trench in a ball of smoke and sparks.

Nova grimaced. “Bee, damage report?”

BB-6 responding with what seemed to be their customary nervous beeps and whirrs, reading off the damage to the ship’s engine. It was manageable, but required caution from the pilot to not make it worse.

Her request reached Poe’s ears, sparking yet more worry within the pilot. “Nova –”

“Focus on that oscillator, Dameron,” she cut in before he could spew his concerns. “I can handle this!”

Poe grimaced, biting his tongue to restrain further comments he knew would not be appreciated. He knew he could trust her judgement – if she said it was under her control, it was under her control. But after her stunt on the bombing run, he was inclined to worry about her more than he did already.

He sighed, forced to make the decision. “All teams, I’m going in. Pull up and cover me!”

“Copy that, Black Leader,” Snap replied.

“Poe,” Nova’s voice faltered as she failed to find the words. She swallowed. “Good luck. Blow it to hell.”

She was the last to pull out of the trench, following Snap, Jess and Bastian back to the atmosphere. Most of the TIEs in the trench pursued them, leaving Poe to be tailed by one lone fighter, who he was able to avoid with little difficulty.

He let out a heavy sigh, trying to ignore the image of Nova’s X-Wing going down in a ball of flames that his mind had conjured up to haunt him. Thinking she was dead was bad enough for him, but having to watch it and know he could do nothing was so much worse.

Only in the moments he thought he had lost her forever did he truly realise the full extent of his feelings for her. He figured out exactly why staying the way they were, a complicated spot between friends and lovers, was killing him inside.

Despite it all, he had fallen in love with her.

Nearing the breach, he shook it off; mind focusing back on the mission.

Locking the ship’s S-foils together allowed for a smooth entry, and forced the last pursuing TIE to break away, unable to follow. Once in, he unlocked the S-foils once more to open fire.

And he did so with great satisfaction, blowing the base to hell as instructed.

Torpedo after torpedo was launched as he circled the interior, each one finding its mark in the exposed structure. The flames from the explosions roared in his wake, the oscillator slowly beginning to collapse in on itself.

He made it out and back into the open before the real explosion hit, sending sparks and flames sky-high into the darkness. Several more followed, going outwards across the surface, pushing up through the snow like volcanic eruptions.

“All teams, nice job!” Poe called to his fellow pilots, his voice breathless with relief and elation. “General, the target’s been destroyed!”

Nova leaned back in her seat; eyes squeezed shut as she forced a breath from her tight chest. The mission was successful, and the sooner she could get out of the stifling cockpit, the better.

“Good.” Leia’s voice was warm but distant – and Nova did not need to guess why. She must have felt something too. Not the same way she had, but something. “Now, retreat immediately. The planet is unstable.”

That much was obvious. The eruptions were growing in both size and power, catching low flying and scrambled fighters as they tried to make their escape.

“If we retreat, we leave our friends behind!” Poe said without hesitation.

Leia’s response was ready and rehearsed. She knew what he was like – loyal to a fault to those he cared for. While she could not exactly fault him for it, she could make her own point of concern clear. “If you stay to find them, we lose you all. Your group is all we have left capable of putting up a fight.”

“With all due respect, General, we’re not leaving them. Teams, who’s with me?”

“We’re all with you Poe,” Snap said. “You know that.”

Nova managed no such response, but her X-Wing did not break from formation. Though her hope was fleeting, she forced herself to stay strong. Her father had not been the only person sent to the Maker-forsaken planet’s surface – the others could still be alive.

It did not take much searching for them to locate the Millennium Falcon. The battered ship rose through the trees; lights illuminating the surroundings in a soft white blue. A cold yet hopeful light.

The legendary ship took the lead as the fighters cleared what had been Starkiller Base, getting out of range in time for it to destabilise entirely. The power became too great to contain, and the planet burst into a new and blinding sun.

“Our job’s done here,” Poe sighed happily. “Let’s go home.”

New life, and a victory for the Resistance. But it had come at a high price.

The fleet, or the seven ships that remained, followed the Falcon to hyperspace one by one in silence.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter contains self-harm and attempted suicide. If either or both of these are sensitive topics for you, please skip this chapter. It is not massively detailed, but it is there. Thank you, and please stay safe.

The journey back to base was a quiet one on Nova’s part.

The chatter of the remaining pilots had started up the second they had entered lightspeed. Sighs of relief and cheers of celebration had filled the comms channel. But Nova could not bring herself to join them.

She ran her hands over her face, grimacing when they bumped her helmet. The bright light of the spinning stars was blinding behind her eyelids. A shaky sigh escaped her lips, and she leaned back in her seat – a certain sensation of numbness creeping across her body.

The conversation going on around her was little more than a mumble to her. As distant and quiet as the hum of her ship’s engines.

The beeps and whirs of BB-6 barely reached her ears.

“Sorry, what?” she said, her voice hollow and cold.

The droid repeated themself.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she dismissed. “Just don’t feel like talking.”

BB-6 responded with uncertainty.

“I said I’m fine!” Nova snapped, slamming her hand against the side of her cockpit. Instantly, she slapped her other hand over her mouth, her breathing staggered and heavy.

She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the transparisteel canopy. The darkness in her eyes made her stomach turn.

Her sudden outburst had been louder than she would have liked, catching the attention of the other pilots.

“You doing okay there, Organa?” Snap asked.

“Uh huh.”

Poe was far from convinced. As her Commander, and more importantly as her friend, he felt responsible for her. Had done from the beginning, even if she had and continued to brush of his concerns.

He knew she was capable of getting by on her own – she had done for years. But he also believed that she should not have to.

“Something I need to know about?” he inquired gently. He had never heard her in a state quite like the one she was in – and it did not sound good.

Nova shook her head, forcing herself to believe her cover. “I’m handling it.”

She was glad the journey home was a short one.

\---

Nova’s X-Wing was among the first to hit the landing strip. It was a messier landing than usual; she had barely timed any of it correctly, resulting in a few fresh scraped to the hull. They complimented the carbon scoring and blast dents nicely.

With a long sigh, she pulled her gloves off roughly, tossing them onto her control panel. Her helmet followed seconds later.

The canopy rose, letting in the cool breeze that was sweeping over D’Qar. It caressed Nova’s face and messy hair, but she did not notice. It did little to refresh her.

From her place in the cockpit, she could see the crew of the Millennium Falcon making their way off the ship. Chewie was first, carrying somebody in his arms. Nova could tell from the jacket that it was Finn, presumably unconscious for some reason or another.

Rey came out last, looking just as lost as Nova felt. Seeing the young girl alive should have made her feel some sense of relief, but unfortunately, her mind was on one track and one track only.

Poe was with them and by Finn’s side in an instant, talking with the medics.

Nova took the chance to slip from her X-Wing – leaving her flight vest in the cockpit – and head for the forest.

As she walked, or somewhat dragged herself out to the trees, her hands pulled at her flight suit. She eventually got it undone and slipped it from her shoulders, tying the sleeved tightly around her hips. A shiver ran through her body, as her black tank top did not provide much warmth against the breeze.

Her fingers vaguely traced a scar that became exposed. Long and jagged, it ran from her right shoulder, and down her chest, the end of it covered by her top. Six years old, it felt like she had only had it slashed into her yesterday.

She reached her destination soon enough; a small clearing of trees she had claimed as her own training grounds. A few stained targets were set up on the trees, and a training probe or two lay in the grass. Her Jedi reflexes required something more challenging than the standard training facilities the Resistance possessed for blaster training.

Freeing her blaster from its holster, she set it to the desired configurations – a little more punch than was usually used for practise. Releasing a shallow breath, she aimed for the first target, ready to set the systems off. She was forced to bring up her left hand to steady her right that gripped the weapon – she had started to shake.

The first shot was fired. It found its home perfectly in the centre of the target, joining many other marks there.

She found her rhythm quickly, her shots getting further and further away from their targets as she continued. Each was filled with more despair and rage than the last.

Elara. Fenna. Han. Finn. Rey. Poe.

All those she cared for and had failed to protect from the evil that was her brother. She had had the chance to prevent it all, but she had been unable to take it. And now those she loved had to pay the price for her mistake.

She came to a stop, eyes burning and blurry with tears. Her breathing was heavy and staggered. Her body trembled.

Turning the blaster over in her hand, Nova could feel the heat radiating off the barrel. She stared at it for second, considering it with an absent mind. Then, slowly, she lowered it to the palm of her hand. She bit the inside of her cheek to stifle any noise, and shut her eyes tight.

She pulled it away after a few seconds, opening her eyes again. She looked at her palm, seeing the new burn that ran across it, red and blistering, to which her only reaction was a long sigh. She let her afflicted hand fall to her side.

She raised her blaster again, but this time it was turned on herself. she pressed it against her stomach, closing her eyes and gulping in a breath. One finger hovered over the trigger, preparing to squeeze.

Her arm was shoved away from her body; the blast meant for herself flying off to hit another tree instead.

Nova almost screamed as she felt strong arms wrap around her body, pulling her backwards while keeping her steady. never letting her stumble.

Poe dragged her with him until his back hit a tree, whereupon he allowed himself to slide down it, sinking to the ground. His grip on Nova tightened, trapping her arms by her sides. He took her blaster from her, tossing it away from them onto the grass – well out of her reach.

“Hey, hey. You’re okay. You’re okay. I’ve got you,” he murmured, brushing her hair back from her face.

Nova let her head fall back to rest against his shoulder, the first of her sobs breaking forth from her throat and chest. The tears fell fast, and her cries were loud.

“I’ve got you. You’re safe. It’s okay…”

“No!”

Poe’s hold on her tightened again as she screamed. It was taking all his strength to keep her against him, and for him to not break down too. He had never seen Nova like that – had never expected she would go that far. And it scared him out of his mind.

He choked when he saw the burn on her hand. “Kriff, Nova…”

“It’s all my fault...”

“No. No, it’s not. You couldn’t have stopped it. If you’d been there, you’d be dead too.”

“Good!” she spat. “I can’t even protect the one’s I –” Another sob swallowed her words.

“Don’t say that!” Poe begged. “Nova, please, please don’t…”

Nova shifted in his hold, slowly but surely turning her body. She buried her face in his chest, curling up into him, letting him muffle her screams and catch her tears.

Poe ran his fingers through her hair, trying to provide some comfort that she could latch onto to pull herself back. No matter how long it took, he would stay with her. His head bumped the tree behind them as he looked to the blue sky turning a soft grey, blinking back tears. Being strong and having hope for the both of them.

“Please don’t leave me…”

His words were a whisper against the side of her head.

Time became meaningless. Neither of them knew how long they stayed there, clinging to each other as Nova continued to mourn. She cried until she ran out of tears, and all she could do was whimper and gasp for breath.

As the light continued to fade, clouds drifting in to obstruct the sun, Nova’s breathing began to settle. She became quieter. She stopped shaking.

Looking up at Poe, she threw her arms around his neck, seeing his pained expression.

“You don’t deserve any of this,” he said softly.

Nova shook her head. “What I don’t deserve is you.”

“Nova –”

“Don’t,” she muttered. “Just… don’t.”

“Okay, okay,” he conceded swiftly – now was not the time to argue. “Come on. Let’s get you patched up.”

Nova nodded, allowing herself to be helped to her feet. She had stopped shaking, which was a small mercy, but she still felt the need to lean on Poe. It gave her a sense of comfort. Of safety and sanctuary.

The breeze blew through her, and she shivered, prompting her to redress. She untied the sleeves from her waist, slipping them over her arms and zipping it up to her chest, giving her room to breathe in the orange fabric.

Her eyes wandered to her discarded blaster. She crouched to pick it up – it now felt cool in her hands. She examined it with a mournful expression as she rose, and carefully returned it to her holster.

Poe had watched her, visibly tense at the sight of her holding it again.

Nova noticed, sighing sadly as she offered up her explanation. “My father gave it to me.”

He nodded in understanding, holding out his hand to her.

She returned to him, curling into his side when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders tightly, keeping her close. She hid her face against him; she did not need people to pity her more when they saw her blotchy cheeks and red, watery eyes.

They walked back to the base in a heavy but comfortable silence.


	23. Chapter 23

Nova’s gaze remained fixed on the tarmac as she walked. She did her best to ignore it, but she was very conscious of the looks people were giving her. Word always travelled fast through the ranks of the Resistance – comparable to wildfire sometimes.

Poe made sure to keep her close the entire time, setting a purposeful pace as they walked. He hoped to actively discourage anyone from trying to approach them; the last thing either of them wanted to do was answer questions or respond to sympathies. The time for that would inevitably come, but if he could postpone if for Nova’s sake and state of mind, he would.

They made it to the medbay with little difficulty. And soon enough, Nova was sat on one of the cots, burned palm turned upwards for examination.

“Did she seem alright to you?” she murmured, as loud as she felt she was able.

Poe glanced to her from his seat beside her. “Hmm?”

“My mom. You saw her. Did she seem alright?”

He sighed. “No. She was strong but – she was distant.”

She nodded.

Selah made quick work of dressing and bandaging the wound. She did her best to make idle conversation as she did so, but it was hardly the appropriate atmosphere. It was like a heavy blanket had fallen over the base as if to smother the usual, somewhat high spirits. Poe answered any questions put to either of them.

Neither pilot could stop their eyes occasionally wondering over to where the rest of the medical staff were occupied with Finn. They worked in a quiet frenzy, utilising what seemed to be every supply they had access to.

“Do you know what happened?” Nova asked her carer quietly.

Selah sighed. “Took one too many hits from a lightsaber. One right up his spine. None of us have seen anything like it. I didn’t even know those weapons were real anymore.”

Nova grimaced at the thought, raising her free hand to her own scar.

“Doctor Kalonia is hopeful. Says he’s in stable condition and recovering. He’ll pull through.”

“He better,” Poe muttered.

Nova gave his hand a squeeze, smirking to herself.

“You’re good to go,” Selah said, delicately tying off the bandage. “And I don’t want to see you back in here again any time soon, Captain.”

Her smirk widened at the good-natured tease. “Yes ma’am.”

The pilots left the medbay in silence, making their way out to the hallway. Nova once again held willingly in Poe’s embrace. They did not pass many people on their route to the control centre, as most of them had assembled there already.

Black Squadron were the first to reach them when they entered. Jess enveloped Nova in a hug, while Karé placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Snap took his place beside Poe, exchanging a mournful look with the commander. The final member, a Squamatan names Suralinda, also joined them – shooting Nova a sympathetic look from a distance.

Nova maintained her strong façade for her teammates. With a pained smile and reassuring nod, she broke away from the embrace. She was coping. She would be okay.

She spotted her mother across the room. Sitting alone, leaning on her elbow against the control panel. Her despair was deep – she looked just as broken up as Nova was – though she was concealing it with much more dignity and control. She was not exactly short of practise. She had lost everything before.

Her eyes lit up with relief at the sight of her daughter. They shared a look of feelings too powerful and sad for words to describe before Nova was in her arms.

Mother and daughter clung to one another; each the other’s last trace of family left within reach. Leia ran her hand over Nova’s back in a soothing pattern, while Nova held back a second storm of tears.

“I’m so sorry, Mom.”

“None of this is your fault.”

“He’s – they’re gone. Both of them.”

Leia nodded gravely. It was the unfortunate truth that she had truly lost her husband – Nova’s father – and her son in one brutal blow. She was almost reluctant to let Nova go, feeling as if she too could slip through her fingers like sand.

“I know.”

Nova left the hug, letting out a heavy sigh. “Where do we go from here?”

“The only way there is to go,” Leia said. “On.”

“Right,” she nodded. “We’re still at war.”

“Yes.”

The younger woman leaned back against the console, pushing a hand through her hair. Finding a distraction from the grief would be easy – a new distraction from personal feelings seemed to come along every five minutes in this war. It was a vicious cycle that no one should be expected to adapt to, and yet she had. But it did not make the grief any less painful or present.

“Nova?”

Rey’s voice caught her off guard. Raising her gaze, she found the scavenger stood before her, looking and feeling a little out of place amongst the put-together Resistance personnel.

Rey too looked surprised as she took in Nova’s appearance. Seeing her so close amongst the higher-ups, dressed in her official pilot’s uniform. It was a shock to her, seeing the resilient, secretive and resourceful woman she had found crashed on Jakku now in her home environment, but she decided she liked it.

Nova bridged the gap between them, throwing her arms around the young girl’s shoulders tightly. Rey responded quickly; arms wrapping around Nova’s body as shock morphed into relief at something familiar.

“You’re alive.”

“Barely,” Rey managed a light-hearted tone.

“What happened?”

“I – I can barely explain it.”

Nova shrugged. “Try me.”

The pair moved away to the side of the room, taking a seat on some crates away from prying ears.

“Something, well a lot of somethings, strange happened. I – well, I think it was the Force. I was able to fight and escape him.”

“Kylo Ren?”

Rey nodded.

“Woah. That’s… no easy thing to do. Even with training. That takes some… incredible connection to the Force. I’ve only seen two people come close to that level.”

Her words piqued Rey’s interest further. Her eyes lighting up like they had back on Jakku at the very mention of Luke Skywalker. “You have?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “This isn’t really the place to talk about it, though. It’s… personal.”

“Still keeping secrets,” she teased.

“When I tell you, you’ll understand why.”

A small commotion started up behind the girls at the entrance of four droids. C-3PO took the lead, closely followed by a trio of astromechs. They spoke with Leia briefly, before the largest of the trio came forward.

“Artoo?” Nova frowned in surprise at the old unit. She had not seen him up and running since her time at the temple.

R2-D2 beeped back a cheerful greeting to her. Then, having moved to the front of the group, he projected for them a large navigational star chart. Or, more accurately, most of one. A critical fragment was missing – a fragment both Nova and Rey had seen before.

BB-8 was ahead of them on the uptake, already turning to Poe for the missing piece they had set out for from the start. The pilot retrieved the missing piece, passing it to his droid so that he too could project it.

Seamlessly, the two pieces slotted together, the edges blending out into the rest of the hologram. The route was charted out, the line marking it running smoothly through the holographic systems to its destination.

“Oh! The map!” C-3PO exclaimed. “It is complete!”

“Luke,” Leia gasped.

Nova too felt a sense of joy in her chest. After all this time, they had done it. as one door closed, another opened. Maybe there was more hope to be found. A small, watery smile graced her lips.

Leia called a meeting soon after, bringing together those she needed most. Among them were Black Squadron and Rey, who still stayed close to Nova in the face of the unknown. BB-6 too stayed close to their master’s ankles, having up until that point been trailing BB-8 with a lot of curiosity. Chewie too had joined them, stepping out of the shadows he had confined himself to in order to grieve.

“We have to move fast,” the General said. “The First Order is most likely regrouping as we speak.”

“Well, we’ve got the complete map,” Suralinda said. “That’s a start, right? We’re still one up on the Order.”

“Two with Starkiller gone,” Jess added.

Leia shook her head. “It’s not enough. They still greatly outnumber us. One Jedi can’t turn the tide against those odds, no matter what the stories say.”

“It’s still a start,” Poe reaffirmed.

“How do we know Skywalker is even where the map leads?” Snap asked, incredulous.

“We don’t, but it’s all the hope we have.”

“He’ll be there,” Leia said firmly. “But that’s not our only hope.” She looked between the four members of Black Squadron, excluding their leader and second in command. “I’m sending you out to assemble our allies. Rally more systems to our cause. People can’t afford to sit by any longer with the Republic gone.”

“What about me, General?” Poe inquired.

“I need you here, Dameron. I can only afford to spare so many great pilots.”

“Understood.”

She turned to Rey and Nova, addressing the former directly. “I know this must all seem very sudden, Rey, but I want you to go to Luke. I think he can help you, and in return you can help bring him home.”

The young girl stayed in nervous silence, but managed to nod. She felt she could not refuse, and if Luke Skywalker was anything like the myths she had heard whispered in the deserts of Jakku, perhaps he could help her.

Nova swallowed, hesitant to put herself forward into the conversation. “What about me?”

Her mother’s face softened. “Nova, that’s for you to decide. What do your instincts tell you?”

She did not have to spend long considering her answer. Her mind had been made up for years. There was only one right way for her to go now. It was not the path she had been placed on, but the path she had been redirected to – the path she felt she would have always found.

Her friends watched her quietly – Poe and Rey both particularly keen. One finding more questions about the woman forming in her mind, the other nervously awaiting her call, suddenly unsure if he knew which way she would choose.

“I’m needed here. With you, the Resistance. I can’t go to him now; not after everything.”

No further justification was needed.

Leia nodded in understanding. “Then it’s settled.”


	24. Chapter 24

Having been supplied with a change of clothes, a freshly showered Rey sat perched on the end of Nova’s bed. The mattress and Resistance issued sheets were nothing like she had ever felt before, so soft and comfortable – though many people who slept in them as often as they could begged to differ.

The room itself was comfortable in size – standard private quarters for a person of Nova’s rank. Small enough so one person did not feel lonely, and large enough so two people did not feel cramped together.

A desk stood opposite the single bed, against which Nova leaned, listening as Rey brought her up to speed with the events on the surface of Starkiller Base. She would nod every now and then at any detail that caught her interest. Her face maintained a neutral, thoughtful expression.

Story concluded, Rey glanced to Nova’s face, examining her. She was hesitant to change the topic, unsure how the older woman would react to her questions. But her need for answers overruled her anxieties. “You said you’d seen other people like me.”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell me about them?”

Nova sighed, still trying to collect her thoughts as they flew through her mind, like pieced of debris caught in the winds of a hurricane. At that point, she figured Rey had the right to know.

“Yes,” she repeated. “But I’m telling you all this in confidence, alright? Stays between us.”

With a curious frown, Rey nodded and waited for Nova to continue.

“I’m not who I let a lot of people think I am,” she started. “I’m not just some talented pilot for the Resistance. There’s more than I care to admit. I used to be a Jedi – or close enough to one at least. I was there when the new order fell.”

Rey leaned forward, elbows digging into her legs. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. We woke up, and everything was on fire. We barely had time to grab our sabers before it exploded. But, we made it out. Others weren’t so lucky – caught up in the blast and the smoke. But two of us got clear. Me and –” she trailed off. She could not bring herself to say her name without choking. “And he was there. Standing tall in all the destruction.”

“Kylo Ren?”

She nodded. “My brother.” The word was repulsive, disgusting Nova and shocking Rey. “Now d’you get it?”

“I’m starting to.”

“He was changed when I saw him that night. Already too far over the point of no return. He asked me to join him. I don’t know why. I would have been no use to him. He was the next Chosen One, and I couldn’t compete. We fought, and I escaped. I lost…” she swallowed, forcing herself to finish the sentence. “He killed the girl I loved. Right in front of me.”

Rey’s expression softened and fell in sympathy.

“He left me with nothing but my broken saber. And this.” She tugged her flight suit loose, pulling it down to reveal what she could of her scar. “If we didn’t see eye to eye before, we certainly don’t now.”

She stopped, considering the next part of her story. Choosing her words and the details with care. “Then I… disappeared. Went on the run in the Outer Rim. Tried to forget everything. Didn’t work.”

She sighed; teeth digging into her cheek once more. Five years of running. Burying her pain deep down – it only got in the way of doing what she had to do to survive. Letting the survivor’s guilt fester until it began to hollow her out.

“Eventually, my mother figured out how to find me. Brought me back, gave me something to fight for.”

The phrase was not exact. While she fought for the greater good, there was not much else. She fought because after all that time it was the only thing she knew how to do. For her, life was not about living, but merely surviving. And truth be told, she had yet to stop running.

Pausing again, she took a second to consider Rey, gauging her reactions. She found the younger woman doing the same back to her.

“Come with me.” She seemed on the verge of pleading; still holding out hope her request would not be futile.

Nova shook her head. “No. It’s not my journey to take. Not anymore.”

“Why not?”

“Rey, the lightsaber called to you. I don’t know much about the workings of the Force, but I understand that that means something. It has to. It’s not a saber with a boring history.” She took a seat beside her on the bed. “Maz told you that it’s been through two generations of my family. If it was my path, don’t you think it would have called to me?”

She hung her head, sighing in defeat. “I don’t want to go alone.”

“You won’t be. Chewie and Artoo will be with you. You couldn’t wish for more capable companions.” Glancing at her friend’s face, she read the disappointment etched into her features. Her words had provided her with some comfort, but it still was not enough – Nova had still refused her.

“Look, even if I was called to go, I can’t. I can’t leave my mom. Not after she’s lost my dad and her son. And… other people need me – the Resistance.”

“Your pilot friend?” Rey raised a curious, teasing eyebrow. She saw the way he had been looking at her – friendship was not a strong enough word. She had seen something else. The same desire to protect and keep near, much like Finn’s for her, but stronger. Much stronger.

Nova straightened her posture. “From a professional standpoint, yes. My Commander needs me more now that we’re down so many pilots.”

Her choice of words made Rey smile, though she tried to hide it by looking at her hands. She noted that Nova was not as skilled at lying as she would like, which in the case of her and Poe, was correct. It was a lie Nova could not even convince herself of, let alone convince anyone else on base, old or new.

Nova narrowed her gaze at her. “I mean it. Our relationship is… strictly professional. It has to be.”

“Okay.” Rey nodded. She did not believe her, but decided she had interrogated the woman enough for one day.

A change of subject was once more in order.

“You can have my bed tonight,” the pilot said in a decided manner. No room for argument.

“What about you?”

“I’ll make other arrangements,” she shrugged. “I can take the floor, but if you don’t want me in here, I can make other arrangements. It’s fine.”

“Nova, I can’t kick you out of your own room.”

“You’re not. I’m abdicating it to you for the night. Gods know you deserve a comfortable night’s sleep.”

Rey laughed, a soft and melodic sound. “Fine. If you insist, you can have the floor.”

Nova smiled. “Okay. Let’s go get some food. Heads up, it’s nowhere near as good as the stuff Maz was able to give us.”

“Believe me, I won’t notice.”

The women shared another laugh as they left for the mess hall; the door to Nova’s room sliding shut behind them with a hiss and a click.


	25. Chapter 25

A party was held that night on D’Qar. To celebrate the great victory, as well as those they lost along the way to achieve it. Speeches were spoken, songs were sung, and drinks were passed around. That night was not a time for tears.

Nova was not drinking. Nor was she socialising. Instead, she had retreated to a quieter corner away from the congregation, content to fade into the atmosphere and simply observe. Black Squadron would not miss her absence – all too busy recounting past missions, which eventually she knew would most likely evolve into some form of drinking game. Which, while she had grown to enjoy them immensely, was not something she was in the mood for that night.

Her brown eyes scanned the room at intervals, no one group catching her interest. Mechanics. Pilots. Medical staff. Admirals. Majors. Everyone seemed equal there, revelling in the little bit of freedom they had worked so hard to win.

As they should.

Her solitude was short lived as company found her. With a sigh, she let her head fall back to hit the wall with an audible thump, and she cursed beneath her breath.

“Well, I’m clearly not wanted,” Poe said, a playful smirk on his face.

“Don’t take it personally,” Nova said dryly, rubbing the back of her head – having hit the wall harder than intended. “Shouldn’t you be with the rest of the squad?”

“And why would I choose them over you?”

She raised an incredulous eyebrow.

“They can survive without me,” he dismissed, taking a seat beside her. “And I can’t have my wing-woman being lonely at a party.”

“I’m not lonely,” she countered. “I just needed a break.”

“Well, in that case I’ll go.” He began to stand to leave slowly.

“No, you can stay.” Nova rolled her eyes, having grown accustomed to his sense of humour long ago. “Please.”

Poe chuckled. “Okay, okay. Of course, I’ll stay.”

The pair lapsed into a moment of silence; content to enjoy each other’s company.

“Where’s the new girl? Thought she would be with you.”

“Rey turned in early. Can’t say I blame her.”

Poe nodded. “She is your room?”

“Yeah.”

He cleared his throat. “You need to sleep in my room tonight?”

“I’m taking my floor.”

“You can have my bed if you want.”

“Poe, it’s fine. Besides, if either of us deserves to sleep in a bed tonight, it’s you. You’re the hero of the day after all,” she teased, poking his side.

The pilot lowered his voice, leaning in closer to her with a stern gaze. “Nova, you lost your father today. And you nearly –”

“Don’t,” she snapped. Her voice was low and controlled. Her expression was tight, eyes burning with repressed emotion. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t have to be on your own.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“No, you don’t want my help.”

“Oh, like hell you know what I want. Like kriff! While we’re on the topic, why don’t you explain yourself?”

Poe frowned.

“The kiss?”

The confusion lifted, and Poe’s expression fell. He did not regret having kissed her – nothing in the galaxy could make him regret it – but the look on Nova’s face in that moment was enough to ignite at least a spark of guilt within him. “Nova, I –”

“Yeah, you know what I want,” she muttered. She stood, fists clenched, and left without another word.

The coldness of the corridors was a feeling she welcomed; the mess hall having been rather crowded and stuffy with a strong smell of alcohol. A soft thud sounded with each step she took, picking up in pace until she was nearly running. Her mind was blank as she went first to her room, then outside to the tarmac. All she could feel was a numb sort of anger.

A cool breeze was blowing across the planet, brushing her hair back from her face as she climbed the hill. There she stood, looking out across the base on one side, the forest on the other.

In her hands were the broken halves of her lightsaber, cold and lifeless. She turned them over without looking at them, fingers caressing the familiar metal and jagged edges from the break. Weighing them as she weighed her options once more, reconsidering the offer to leave and find Luke.

Deep down, she knew there was no choice to be made. She knew leaving was only a fantasy, and not a pleasant one at that. The Resistance, her home of sorts, was where she was needed and where she could do something.

She could not let her personal feelings for Poe cloud her judgement. He was not to blame for caring for her, despite her best efforts to prevent what now seemed to be the inevitable. Her anger towards him passed like a shadow.

She released a deep breath through her nose, casting her gaze towards the forest once more. Then, with as much force and precision as she could manage, launched the two halves of her ancient weapon into the trees, there to be consumed by nature.

\---

_Her surroundings were unfamiliar. Vast and dark, she felt tiny within them. Lost in the shadows. A cold wind was blowing in from outside, though no light followed it. No stars or moons were shining._

_Her clothes were thick and black, clinging to her in the cold beneath a matching black cloak that reached the backs of her knees. Her hood was down and heavy on her shoulders. Her hair was caught in the breeze, dancing around her face, where she could feel a scar was carved._

_Her gaze was locked on her hands; gloved and holding a familiar weapon. The lightsaber felt heavier than she remembered it having felt before, and darker. No longer the sacred weapon of a noble warrior, but the desecrated tool of a villain._

_Another familiar hand rested atop it. One withered with time and a life well lived. It was reaching for her, calling her home._

_But it was already too late._

_She both felt and heard her scream as the blade extended against her will. It pierced the chest of the man that stood before her – the man she knew without a doubt to be her father. There was no doubt as to what she was being forced to bear witness to in her nightmares. Her guilt rising to torment her, heart, soul and mind._

_She was forced to meet his eye; see the pain and shock painted in his features. He reached for her face, and she flinched at the touch, soft and caring in the cold and dark._

_She could not look away as he fell from the bridge. Down, down, down to the core of the planet – though he would be long dead before impact. That at least was a comfort._

_But he was gone. Forever._

\---

Nova sat up sharply, throat dry and cheeks damp with tears. She could only guess that any sound had escaped her throat. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the bed sheets, trying to catch her breath and stop her heart from hammering out of her chest.

Poe was by her side in an instant, wrapping his arms around her like he had done only a few hours prior. This time, his hold was softer, gathering her back to his chest to comfort and calm her.

“You’re alright. You’re alright,” he assured her softly.

She gasped, desperately trying to fill her lungs with oxygen. “I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t…”

“I know,” he muttered, hugging her tighter. “But it wasn’t your fault. You hear me, Nova? It wasn’t your fault.”

She nodded, leaning further into him for comfort, safety. “I’m sorry I snapped at you earlier. I didn’t mean –”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. The last few days have been hell, I’m not gonna hold it against you.”

She sighed, feeling herself start to relax. Her eyes and mind were still heavy as she longed to return to sleep, in spite of the nightmares. Poe was right. The last few days had been hell – she had barely noticed the last time she had gotten any sort of rest had been aboard the Finalizer.

She frowned, glancing around the dark room – not her own. She could not recall having entered it, or falling asleep in the first place. “How did I get here?”

“I carried you,” was the only explanation Poe provided. He could feel her start to slump against him, her fatigue catching up to her. “Go back to sleep. You deserve the rest.”

Nova caught his wrist before he could leave her side. “Stay with me,” she whispered. “Please.”

He complied without hesitation, abandoning the makeshift bed he had set up for himself on his floor. He slid in next to her easily – sharing a bed or confined space was a circumstance they were not strangers to.

With one arm around Nova’s shoulders, he let her curl into his side, her head falling to rest against him. She fell asleep soon enough, breathing steady and face somewhat peaceful.

He planted a gentle kiss to her temple with a sigh, succumbing to sleep himself. As his eyes closed, he murmured three words to her that he doubted she would hear. But that did not matter to him; it was not the point.

“I love you.”


	26. Chapter 26

It was strange how normal everything seemed the next day. Everyone went about their business as usual. Maybe with a bit more bounce in their step than before, but that was to be expected.

Nova was stood outside of the med-bay, casually leaning against the wall. She hummed a random tune, which when she thought about it wasn't random at all, but rather a tune from her childhood. 

Poe quietly joined her, smartly dressed in his uniform.

Nova looked him up and down, a little smirk ghosting her lips. It was a rare occurrence for Poe to be in anything other than his flight suit or just his civilian clothes.

"What?" Poe said, noticing the smirk.

"Nothing. Just admiring the fact that you look half decent today," she said.

"Thanks, I guess?"

Nova turned to face him properly, brushing the sleeves of his tunic. She kept her eyes focused on his arms as she repeated the motion, slowing as she became lost in thought.

Poe smiled to himself. He looked down at Nova, catching the faint scent of wild flowers from her hair. He could tell that he looked completely love struck from just being around her. Not that he cared if people saw.

Nova eventually looked up at him, keeping her hands resting on his forearms. She was a little startled by how close their faces already were, but didn't show it. She chewed her tongue, trying to control the blush she knew was creeping onto her face.

She reached her hand up, pushing it through his dark curls. She smiled as she ruffled them up again, watching as he scrunched up his face. "Don't do that," she said.

"Do what?" Poe said in almost a whisper.

"You know what," Nova chuckled. Her fingers were still loosely woven into his hair. "I prefer the messy, hot-shot pilot look on you."

"Hmm, I get that a lot," he mused, leaning so that their foreheads were touching.

"Commander Dameron!"

Poe and Nova took a few steps away from each other as Major Brance approached them from down the hall. He looked between the pair, slightly frowning as he saw how uncomfortable they both looked. "Sorry, did I interrupt something?"

Poe and Nova both shook their heads, trying to look as natural as possible.

"Okay. Well, anyway. Commander, General Organa wants a word," Brance said.

"Of course," Poe replied, turning back to Nova. "I'll see you later."

Nova nodded, leaning back on the wall again. She sighed, hitting her head on it as Brance and Poe walked off down the corridor. She was relieved to feel that the blush had gone from her cheeks.

The door sharply slid open, and Rey stepped out of the med-bay. Her quarterstaff clinked against the wall as she joined Nova in leaning upon it.

"How is he?" Nova said.

"He's in a stable condition. No telling when he'll be awake though," Rey replied.

Nova sighed, nodding to herself. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you."

"You were needed elsewhere. And without you being where you were, I'd probably be dead. And so would Finn."

"Yeah, but I nearly killed myself in the process. And Poe was the one who blew up the oscillator," Nova pointed out.

"You know what I mean, Nova," Rey said. "Are you sure you don't want to come?" Her tone was on the verge of pleading.

"My answer hasn't changed since the last time," Nova said, for what could have been the fifth time that day.

Rey's expression quickly changed; her eyes swelled with a mixture of sadness and guilt. "I'm sorry. It's just... I don't think I'm strong enough to go alone. I need you."

Nova turned to face Rey, placing her hands on the latter's arms to guide her. She looked her over, sighing as she searched for the words. "You don't need me. This is the path the force has chosen for you. You need to take it alone."

Rey nodded.

"You're strong, Rey. In more ways than one. Refine that strength, and you can do great things."

"But what about you?" she asked.

"That's not my path. It may have been once, but things change. People change. Not only that, but it's a lot more dangerous for me now."

Rey nodded again. "I'm sorry I kept asking."

"It's okay," the other woman replied. "You're scared. And you have every right to be. Just remember: scared is a superpower if you know how to use it."

The distinct sound of boots on stone caught their attention before they could fall into silence. The blond hair and short stature of Lieutenant Connix set them at ease. It didn't matter that they were on base and safe; little things were still enough to make either one of them jumpy.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Captain, but General Organa sent for you two. Everything's ready for your departure," Connix explained.

"Thank you, Connix. We'll be right there."

Connix nodded, promptly turning on her heel and heading back down the hall.

Nova gave Rey a final reassuring nod, before they moved to follow the path the Lieutenant had taken seconds before.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova stood at the front of the crowd, squinting in the sunlight. The whole base had turned out for the occasion, which had surprised her at first. But, given the circumstances, it didn't seem so strange after a little thought.

BB-8 rolled around in front of her, bashing into her ankles a few times before stopping his movements. He beeped at her, his comment bringing out a small smile on Nova's face.

"I know, buddy. She'll be fine," she assured the droid.

Leia chuckled, placing her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "You made the right choice, Nova."

Nova looked at her, raising an eyebrow in query.

"I can always tell," Leia smiled knowingly. "Speaking of which..."

Nova turned, her eyes instantly falling on Poe. He gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. She glanced back at her mother, who winked at her playfully.

Nova blushed lightly, electing to hide her face in her friend's chest.

"You all right?" Poe asked.

Nova nodded, for once feeling like she didn't have to lie or put up a wall. "Yeah. You know what? I am." She looked up at him and smiled.

Poe smiled back at her, running his hand over her arm. "It's good to see you smile," he admitted.

"It's good to be able to smile," she said.

The roaring engines of the Millennium Falcon drew their gazes to the sky. The ship rose smoothly, casting a breeze over the crowd as they looked on.

Nova sighed contentedly, watching as her father's ship flew off for another adventure. An adventure that the fate of the galaxy was riding on.


	27. Chapter 27

Panic and anxiety flooded the halls. Shouted commands, running feet, heavy breathing and booming engines could be heard from all corners. Sweat and oil filled the once sweet-smelling air.

The evacuation order had been given barely an hour ago, and already they were running out of time. All the officials and almost all of the pilots were already off the planet, while everyone else was still loading transports with what they needed. General Organa had told them to take only what they needed, but unfortunately, they needed a lot more than they anticipated.

Nova's boots hit the floor hard as she ran, carrying what she could. She'd already packed a small bag with what she couldn't stand to lose and thrown it into the cockpit of her X-Wing, ready to depart at the latest she could. She had flat out refused when she'd been asked to evacuate with the rest of her squadron, staying to help the ground-crew pack up the weapons and data they might need.

Her comm crackled in her pocket, and she rolled her eyes. It was becoming increasingly hard to ignore, which frustrated her even more. She put the crates down in the ship, giving a quick thumbs up to Connix as she checked everything over.

"Captain Organa," she half snapped, turning to jog back into the hanger.

"I thought I told you to evacuate," Poe's voice came over the comm, sounding just as irritated as her.

"I have!" Nova said.

"Really? Then why can I see you standing in the middle of the hanger?"

Nova sighed, spinning on her heel to face the dark-haired pilot. He was leaning against the wall; arms folded and expression stern. Placing the comm back in his pocket, he strode across to Nova, who promptly let her head fall back like a stroppy child.

"You shouldn't be here," he said as he reached her.

"You know, it's funny. I don't see you evacuating," Nova said, cocking her head to the side mockingly.

"This is not the time, Nova," Poe said disapprovingly. "And I have to stay until all pilots are out."

"Well, you're gonna have a hell of a wait then," she said, going to walk away.

Poe acted quickly, grabbing her arm before she could leave. "Get to your ship, Captain. That's an order."

Nova levelled a glare at him, trying to decide whether to put up a fight. Eventually she nodded, pulling her arm out of his grip. She jogged out of the hanger and over to her ship, which she'd prepped for take-off already.

BB-6 beeped to her as she pulled herself into the cockpit, pulling her flight vest on as she waited to be cleared for take-off. It wasn't a long wait, and soon enough, Poe and Nova were docking in the main hanger of the Raddus.

"Beebee-Six, stay there," Nova ordered as she climbed out of the ship.

The blue and white droid beeped in compliance.

Nova spotted Poe across the hanger, still looking annoyed. They walked and met each other in the middle, striding out of the hanger in step. They walked to the bridge in silence.

The Raddus was, at least to Nova, eerily large at times. It didn't seem that way at the present, what with everyone rushing about, but when it was quieter it was unsettling. It was in no way the largest ship she'd been on, given she'd been held captive on one much bigger only a few days before. The halls and hangers were almost pristine white, much like the other ships in their fleet.

The door to the bridge stood open, and Poe and Nova received a few glances as they entered. Most notably Leia, who let out a sigh as she saw her daughter.

"Thank you, Poe," she said.

Poe nodded before walking away to talk to one of the admirals.

Nova sighed, trying to relax herself. She was no good in a fight when she was stressed, and she knew a fight was coming. The First Order weren't going to let them go that easily.

"I understand, Nova," Leia said. Her voice was soft and kind, taking Nova back to when she'd tell her stories of the Rebellion.

"I've been there," she continued. "The Battle of Hoth. I was like you. I was adamant to stay until we were as clear as we could be. Your father had also stayed behind, much to my distaste at the time."

Nova giggled. "I see your point."

"I didn't want that to be you. Also, we need all the pilots up here ready to fend off any attacks," Leia said, more pointedly.

"Yes, General. My apologies."

"Good girl. Now, to your post."

Nova nodded, leaving her mother to oversee the rest of the evacuation. She still wasn't happy to be off the planet, but there was nothing she could do about it.

She jogged back to the hanger, retrieving her bag from her ship. Throwing it over her shoulder, she looked back to check on BB-6, who was seemingly growing agitated.

"I know, buddy. But I need you here in case of an emergency. As soon as we're clear of the planet and safely in lightspeed you can come out."

The small droid grumbled.

"Hey! Watch the language, or I'll have Charlie disassemble you!"

BB-6 beeped sadly, hanging his head.

"I was only joking. I need you," Nova said. She slid back out of the cockpit and onto the floor, wincing as she landed. She turned as she heard her name being called. She frowned as an out of breath Charlie reached her.

"Nova! You're needed on the bridge!"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well, we knew that was coming," Poe sighed, pressing the buttons on the screen. "Connix, is the base fully evacuated?"

"We're still loading the last batch of transports," Connix replied frantically. "We need more time!"

"What's happening?"

Poe turned as Nova jogged in, her eyebrows furrowed.

"The First Order. They've found us," he explained.

Nova nodded. "You got a plan?"

"Yeah. But I don't know how much you'll like it."


	28. Chapter 28

"You're right. I do hate this plan," Nova said, aggressively flicking at the switches of her X-Wing. She came to a stop a good distance from the First Order's dreadnought, locking the wings of her ship together. In theory, Poe's plan had seemed absolutely fine. But now that she was actually faced with the problem, she was not the biggest fan.

And it wasn't just her who was against it. BB-8 was also disapproving, letting out a series of nervous beeps as Poe came to a stop beside her.

"Happy beeps here, guys, come on. We've pulled crazier stunts than this." Poe's voice came over the comm link confidently.

"Just for the record, Commander Dameron, I'm with the droid on this one," Leia said.

"Thank you for your support, General," Poe returned, before letting out a heavy sigh. "Happy beeps."

"Poe, if this goes wrong, I'm putting all the blame on you," Nova said, nervously fiddling with her leather gloves.

"It's not going to go wrong, Nova. We've got this," Poe assured her, though Nova was almost certain her was trying to assure himself.

"All right, all right. Just, make the call."

"Okay." Poe paused for a second before speaking again. "Attention. This is Commander Poe Dameron of Republic fleet and Captain Nova Organa, we have an urgent communique for General Hugs."

Nova adjusted her position in her seat, watching the metre for her ship start to slowly fill. She wasn't entirely sure how well it was going to work, since Charlie had described it as "very experimental". And since part of the plan relied on the experimental sub-light booster working, she was more than a little nervous.

"This is General Hux of the First Order," Hux began, his voice cruel and commanding over the comms. "The Republic is no more. Your fleet are rebel scum and war criminals. Tell your precious princess there will be no terms... there will be no surrender."

"Hi, I'm holding for General Hugs."

Nova had to stifle a laugh as Poe casually dismissed the General, who she could only imagine was less than pleased with the situation.

"This is Hux. You and your friends are doomed! We will wipe your filth from the galaxy," he spat.

"Okay; we'll hold."

"He doesn't shut up, does he?" Nova said, trying her best to hold back the mirth in her voice.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Yep. We're still here," Nova replied to the General.

"Can you – can they hear me?" Hux was clearly confused.

"Hugs?" Poe said. "With an 'H'? Skinny guy. Kinda pasty? Nova, you know who I mean, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Nova agreed. "His eyebrows are just... none existent. Right?"

"I can hear you. Can you hear me?" Hux hissed.

"Look, we can't hold forever. If you reach him, tell him Leia has an urgent message for him," Poe said.

Nova looked back at the metre, seeing that it was nearly full.

"About his mother," Poe added.

BB-6 let out a long beep and Nova sniggered.

"Beebee-Eight, punch it!"

The next thing Nova new, she was being thrust back against her seat. BB-6 had clearly taken the initiative to activate the booster, much to Nova's gratitude and alarm. 

They soon reached the dreadnought, dropping back to their normal speed.

"Yuhhu! That's got a kick!" Poe exclaimed.

"Yeah, even more so when you're not ready for it!" Nova replied through gritted teeth.

"Sorry. Now, get to taking those cannons out. Tallie, start your approach," he ordered.

"Copy that," Tallie said over the comms.

Nova hissed as she swerved across the surface of the dreadnought, dodging the multitude of blasts coming towards her. Her finger hovered over the trigger, waiting until she was in range to let loose on the cannon. The cannon soon erupted into flames and sparks, burning out quickly. Nova flew through the fire, eyeing up her next target.

Soon enough, the duo had destroyed all but one of the cannons.

"One cannon left. And here comes the parade," Poe sighed, spotting the fleet of TIE fighters heading their way.

"Great," Nova said sarcastically. "I'll peal off; see if I can take most of them with me. You focus on that last cannon."

"Copy that. Be careful."

Nova rolled her eyes playfully, before flying towards the TIEs. She pulled up just as she reached them, looping around to draw them away from Poe. And for the most part, she was successful.

"Beebee-Six, stay sharp!" she called. Her mind raced, trying to figure out the next step in her rushed plan. Quickly, she engaged her drop-down gun, hoping to god that she didn't horribly mess up.

She used the drop-down gun to take out the TIEs behind her. It wasn't the most effective method, as it took a few too many shots to fully destroy even one ship, but it was better than nothing.

"No, no. Dammit!" Poe yelled.

"What happened?" Nova called back.

"My weapon systems are down. We gotta take out that last cannon or our bombers are toast. Beebee-Eight, work your magic. Nova, reckon you can keep them off me a bit longer?"

"What do you think I've been doing?" Nova shot back, taking out a TIE that had flown straight at her.

Leia's voice startled both of them as it came over the comms. She seemed oddly calm given the circumstances they were in. "You did it, Poe. Now get your squad back here so we can get out of this place."

Nova went to let out a sigh of relief, but was cut off by Poe. "No, General, we can do this! We have a chance to take out a dreadnought!"

Nova followed Poe in flying through a particularly small gap, having to quickly lock and flip her ship on its side in order to avoid being flayed. Two TIEs behind her weren't so lucky. She soon had to break off from him again, trying to take out the remaining fighters.

"These things are fleet killers! We can't let it get away!"

"Disengage now, Commander, that is an order –"

Leia's voice was abruptly cut off. Nova frowned. "Did you seriously just do that?!" She yelled.

"Nova, you know I'm right!" Poe replied.

Nova let out a frustrated grunt, at a complete loss for words.

"Nova, do not disengage!" he ordered.

"All right! All right!" she snapped.

The pair fell into a tension filled silence, which thankfully, was short lived.

"Let's go, Beebee-Eight! It's now or never!" Poe yelled as he approached the final cannon. Nova wasn't too far behind him, but was far enough away that she couldn't get a clear shot at the two TIEs trailing him.

Suddenly, Nova saw the final cannon go up in sparks. Poe flew through the flames, before smoothly swinging round to fly behind her. Soon enough, he'd taken out the few remaining fighters, letting out a joy filled yell as he did.

Nova let out a sigh, trying to wrap her head around everything that just happened. "Nice move, Dameron. You might have to teach me that one."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, before switching comms back to open. "All clear! Bring the bombs!"


	29. Chapter 29

"Bombers, keep that tight formation. Fighters, protect the bombers," Tallie ordered. "It's not everyday we get a shot at a dreadnought, so let's make this count!"

"Copy that, Blue Leader," one of the bombers replied. "You get us there, we'll give it to 'em."

"Fighters incoming!" another said.

Nova looked up as she spotted the large fleet of TIE fighters approaching them.

"Gunners, look alive," Tallie warned.

The small fleet of X-Wings and A-Wings flew out, hitting the TIEs head first. Unfortunately, the TIEs seemed to be using the same method. Nova zipped and dodged between ships, relentlessly taking fighters down left and right.

The multiple yells of distress and warnings from the pilots all mixed into one, creating a din over the comms. All too often static would also come over, indicating another death.

Nova flinched as one of the bombers when up in flames, falling out of flight. It wasn't a fatal loss yet, but with the state they were in, one bomber could make all the difference between victory and failure.

"I see it. Tallie, they've targeted the fleet, begin the priming sequence," Poe said.

"Copy that," Tallie replied. "We're almost there. Bombadiers, begin your drop sequence."

They were running low on time and options. Nova could tell it wasn't going to end well. The bombers were nowhere near where they needed to be, and there were too many fighters. She shot at one, setting its wing on fire and disabling it. But she hadn't accounted for what happened next.

The TIE fighter spiralled through the air, coming to rest in one of the remaining bombers. It soon erupted in a giant explosion, pieces of debris flying over and smashing into the two bombers either side of it. Soon, they too were going up in smoke.

Nova's heart stopped. Her breath caught in her throat. Her whole mind went blank. She couldn't believe what she'd just done. Because of her, their chances of victory and survival had just plummeted.

Her heart jumped what felt like ten beats as her X-Wing shook, sparks starting to come from her engine. "Kriff! Poe, I need to get clear!"

"What? What do you mean?" Poe called back.

"My ship isn't in the best state anyway from Starkiller, and if I get hit again, I'm going down!"

"Okay, okay. Get clear. I'll cover you."

"Thank you," Nova said, throwing herself back against her seat. She hated having to bow out of fights, but if she was going to die, she wanted to make her death count. And right now, no one's death was worth it.

She was soon out of the battle, speeding back towards the Raddus. She pulled into that hanger, hurriedly landing in her space. She pulled her gloves and helmet off, throwing them against the control panel. "How the hell did I let this happen?!" she cursed, her voice starting to shake.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in the battle, Poe was fully in the fray. He dodged between crashing ships and laser fire, gritting his teeth with every near miss. His mind was racing, not only worrying about the fight but about Nova. He'd picked up on the fear in her voice. He wasn't sure what had shaken her, but it wasn't good whatever it was.

He looked over at the final bomber, spotting one glaring issue. "Paige, come in! We're over the target, why aren't your bay doors open? You're the last bomber left, it's all down to you!"

He kept level with the ship, watching as the doors slowly opened. He frowned as nothing else happened, beginning to grow concerned. "Paige! Drop the payload, now!"

Without warning, the front of the bomber was hit, causing it to go up in flames. Poe flinched, breaking away to avoid any debris that could be sent flying towards him. He continued to shout over the comms, hoping to the stars that Paige was okay.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paige awoke abruptly, ears ringing and head spinning. She could only just remember what happened, but what little she could recall was enough for the panic to set back in.

She looked back up the ladder, seeing the detonator just on the edge of the top floor. There wasn't enough time to climb up and get it, and even if there was, she didn't feel like she could move after the fall.

After thinking for a moment, she new what her only option was. She brought her leg back, kicking her foot into the bottom of the ladder with as much force as she could. It shook slightly, ever so slightly knocking the detonator.

She kicked it again. And again. Every time with a little more force, wishing for it to just fall to her. She could see it, barley hanging on by a wire.

She closed her eyes, focusing all her remaining strength on one final kick. She let out a grunt of pain as her foot hit the ladder.

The detonator came falling down just as the top deck burnt up. It clattered against the sides of the ship, and soon enough fell right past Paige. She watched it fall, reaching her hand out to grab it as it fell out into the open space below.

Her hand wrapped firmly around it, her body now completely turned to face the dreadnought under her. She pressed the button, smiling as it clicked from red to green with a satisfying beep.

The bombs fell past her, quickly leaving the ship and hitting the surface of the dreadnought. The explosion burnt at Paige's eyes, the flames licking up at her as her bomber started to fall towards it.

Her hand itched towards the medallion she had tied to her belt, her fingers ghosting over the cold metal. A small reminder of her home. Of her family. She closed her eyes for the final time, her mind focused on her sister.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Poe sighed heavily as he saw Paige's bomber go down into the fire. He hadn't meant for this to happen. He hadn't meant for that many people to die. But, at the end of the day, it was war. And war had a demanding price.

He circled back to join the remaining fighters, following them back to the fleet. His teeth were tightly gritted as he saw two of their ships jump into lightspeed, knowing they only had so much time until the Raddus did the same.

He all but threw himself into the hanger, letting out a yell of relief as he made it in the second the ship made the jump. He steadied himself, preparing to power down the ship as he knew they were safe.

He just wished more people had made it.


	30. Chapter 30

Nova slid out of her ship and onto the floor, landing with a small thud. Scanning the hanger, her eyes fell upon Charlie, who at that moment was cleaning and patching up yet another droid. Nova jogged over to the mechanic, getting her attention without having to speak.

Charlie looked up from her work, her face lighting up as she saw Nova. "Hey, Nova. How'd it go?"

"That's not important," Nova snapped, trying not to think about it. "I need you to do some repairs to my starboard engine."

"Again? Nova you really need to be more careful," Charlie joked.

"Yeah, well you try doing what I just did. See what you have to say then," Nova aggressively muttered, loud enough for Charlie to hear.

"I'm sorry, I –"

"Just do your job."

Charlie nodded, quickly wiping her hands on a spare rag. Picking up her tools, her and a few droids hurried off towards Nova's ship.

Nova turned back to watch her go, sighing. She hated snapping at people, especially when she was technically their superior. It worried her that it was becoming a more frequent occurrence, even when it was completely unnecessary.

"Come on, Beebee-Six!"

BB-6 dropped out of the X-Wing, rolling over to her. He knocked into her ankles a few times, which Nova took as a cheering up technique. It made her smile, but it did also mean some potential bruises.

"I'm all right, pal. I'm all right," she reassured him.

BB-6 beeped uncertainly but didn't push the matter further.

"Come on," Nova said. The pair made their way across the hanger to Poe's X-Wing, where he and BB-8 still were. Nova climbed the ladder that another crew member had just climbed down, pulling herself up so that she could sit on the wing of the ship.

Poe smiled when he spotted her. "Hey, you all right?"

Nova shrugged. "I guess. I just --" she cut herself off. "Never mind."

"No, don't 'never mind' me. You've been doing that a lot lately. And it hasn't led to anything good," he pointed out.

"I – I don't know if I –"

"Please, Nova. You can tell me anything. I just want to know what's going on with you."

Nova bit her lip nervously. But before she could say anything –

"'Finn naked leaking bag.' What?"

Nova furrowed her brows as she looked at the small droid, trying to find some form of logic in what he'd just said. She giggled as she saw the look of utter bemusement on Poe's face. "Did you fry a chip?"

If BB-8 could have rolled his eyes in that moment, he most certainly would have. He beeped again, looking over at the hallway outside of the hanger. Poe and Nova followed his stare, immediately spotting Finn, who was stood looking very lost and confused.

Poe scrambled out of the cockpit, nearly falling straight off the ship if he hadn't paused to catch himself. Nova stayed seated on the wing, a small smirk on her face. "Aww, fool."

BB-8 and BB-6 sniggered.

Nova pushed herself off of the wing and nearly landed on BB-6, much to his disliking. She quickly joined Finn and Poe in the hall, where both of them were looking more than a bit clueless.

"You must have a thousand questions," Nova caught Poe saying.

Finn didn't even need to think before answering Poe: "Where's Rey?"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"And so, you blew up Starkiller Base?" Finn repeated as he followed Nova and Poe down the hallway.

"Yep," Poe nodded.

"Rey beat Kylo and the Resistance got the map. You won, right? Why doesn't this feel like winning?"

"It's not as simple as that," Nova said.

"Yeah. We came out of hiding to attack Starkiller; didn't take long for the First Order to find our base. Now, we gotta regroup, and go back at 'em," Poe explained.

The trio came to a stop in the middle of the hallway, which in hindsight was not the best idea. More than once Nova had to carefully move herself and Poe out of the way so that other crew members could get around them.

"Look, I believe in what you guys are doing," Finn started. Nova grimaced at that statement alone, having heard similar things when she'd had to try and recruit people.

"But I didn't join this army. I don't want you guys to think I'm something I'm not –"

"Hey, hey, hey," Poe cut him off, "It's fine. You're all right. You're here, with us. Where you belong." He handed Finn a roughly folded up item.

"It's your jacket," he explained.

Finn turned it over in his hands, examining where it had initially been damaged by Kylo Ren's lightsabre. It looked like it had been roughly stitched or even welded back together. It was shabby but secure.

"I'm not much of a sewer," Poe shrugged. "But, ya'know, I was busy saving the entire fleet."

Nova raised her eyebrows as he headed off down the hall. She turned to look at Finn, who was still looking at the jacket. "Ignore him. He gets like that sometimes."

"Hmm?"

"Extremely cocky. He's good at what he does, even if a little egotistical. But he's got a good heart. And that's what's important."

"He can't take the credit all the time though. I mean, you were a fundamental part of taking down Starkiller. And countless other missions," Finn said.

"How do you know that?" Nova asked, more than a little shocked.

"Poe told me while he was finding me some clothes. Once he starts talking about you it's very hard for him to stop it seems."

Nova couldn't hide the smile or blush that graced her face. She bit her lip, looking at the floor in embarrassment. Finn smiled at her, patting her on the shoulder.

"He seemed worried about you," he said seriously.

Nova nodded. "Yeah."

Finn looked at her for another minute, wondering whether he should ask. However, Nova cut him off before he could, which her figured was for the best.

"Come on, let's just get to the bridge."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova jumped as her mother's hand came into contact with Poe's face mercilessly.

Poe too looked extremely shocked, looking around at nothing in particular to get any idea as to what just happened.

"You're demoted," Leia snapped.

"Wha – wait, wait. We took down a dreadnought," Poe defended, still a little shell shocked.

"At what cost?"

"You start an attack. You follow it through."

"Poe, get your head out of your cockpit!"

Poe sighed, looking at Nova in annoyance and disbelief. Nova just raised her eyebrows at him.

"Nova, I had half a mind to demote you too. But you had no part in leading that catastrophe," Leia said, levelling another glare at Poe. "There are things you cannot solve by jumping in an X-Wing and blowing something up! I need you to learn that."

She went to walk past them, but Poe grabbed her arm before she could. "There were heroes on that mission."

"Dead heroes. No leaders."

Nova levelled an 'I told you so' look at Poe, who just sighed. She turned and followed her mother back to the main control panel.

"We're really nowhere," Finn said, surveying the screens. "How's Rey going to find us now?"

Leia lifted her sleeve up slightly to reveal what she was wearing around her wrist. It emitted a faint blue light and quiet, regular beeps.

"A cloaked binary beacon?" Finn said.

"To light her way home," Leia smiled.

"All right, so, until she gets back what's the plan?" he asked, leaning against the panel next to Nova.

"We need to find a new base," Leia said.

"One with enough power to get a distress signal to our allies scattered in the Outer Rim," Commander D'Acy added.

A loud siren going off caught the attention of everyone on the bridge in seconds. Nova's head snapped up to look at Poe, their expressions of concern and confusion perfectly mirroring each other.

"Proximity alert!" Admiral Ackbar called to the bridge.

"They've found us," one of the technicians confirmed.

"That's impossible!" Poe said, his eyes frantically scanning the dark and empty space slowly being filled by Star Destroyers in front of them. It took on a few seconds for the final ship to arrive, and it made both Poe and Nova's blood turn cold.

"That's Snoke's ship," Nova gasped.

"You've got to be kidding me," Poe said. "Can we jump to lightspeed?"

"We have enough fuel resources for just one jump," Connix said.

"Well then, do it. We've gotta get out of here."

"Wait," Leia said, holding up her hand to get their attention. "They've tracked us through lightspeed."

"But that's impossible," Finn said slowly.

"Yes. And they've done it."

"So, if we jump to lightspeed, they'll just find us again, and we'll be out of fuel," Nova realised.

"They've got us," Finn said.

Poe gritted his teeth, looking up at the massive hologram of the First Order ships in front of them. "Not yet they don't."

Nova watched him carefully as he strode back over to Leia. "Permission to jump in an X-Wing and blow something up?"

"Permission granted," Leia agreed.

Poe looked over to Nova, nodding for her to follow him. The pair quickly grabbed their flight vests and ran from the room, closely followed by their droids.


	31. Chapter 31

Nova stumbled as the corridor shook and showered sparks behind her. She did her best to fasten her flight vest properly while still running, but it was proving extremely tricky. She'd nearly tripped over BB-6 twice in the process. Poe was slightly ahead of her, keeping pace with BB-6 easily. BB-8 was at the head of the group, beeping frantically as he wove between people.

"Don't wait for me! Jump in and fire her up!" Poe ordered the orange and white droid. "Beebee-Six, I suggest you do the same!"

The two astromech droids sped up, moving out of their owners' sights and into the hanger. It wasn't long until Poe and Nova also reached the hanger entrance, rounding the corner as quickly as they could.

As they entered, a heavy feeling set in for Nova. Her heartbeat increased much more than it had already from running, much like it did when she woke up from a nightmare. Her stomach and chest felt tight. And through the mix of feelings, one stood out. The feeling of something, or rather, someone: her brother, and the feeling of dread he always brought with him to her.

Nova's fear certainly wasn't misplaced. She was only a few strides into the hanger when the blast hit. The bombs broke through the hanger shields as if they were paper. The fire and force of the explosion ripped through the ships and people in seconds, leaving no hope of survival.

Poe and Nova both came to a sudden stop before they were thrown backwards out of the hanger. Poe ended up on the floor, uncomfortably sliding into the hall. Nova wasn't so lucky. Her body flew like a rag doll, colliding with the wall behind her. She fell to the floor, trying to fight through the fact that she'd been winded.

BB-8 and BB-6 both came bouncing out of the hanger, letting out shrieks as they too hit the wall. BB-8's head rolled off, coming to a stop next to a rather shaken BB-6.

Nova raised her head just in time to see the blast doors close, shutting out the now empty hanger. She wanted to cry, thinking about everyone they had just lost on top of their last battle. Pilots and mechanics alike. Tallie. Nash. Charlie.

"Poe, Nova. Are you all right?" Finn asked as he reached them, crouching down next to Poe.

"We need to get out of range of those Star Destroyers," Poe said, struggling to get his words out.

Nova did her best to push herself up, but her body was still recovering from the impact from the wall and then the floor. Finn was quick to help, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her up so she could stand. She lent against the wall, her hand firmly pressed to her ribs as she tried to breathe again. Finn helped Poe up, who was quickly by Nova's side to keep her steady.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly, placing his arm around her waist.

Nova was quick to place her arm around his shoulders, only just managing to nod in response to him. She squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on trying to get at least one large breath out.

They looked up as Connix frantically approached them. "The bridge. They hit the bridge."

Nova let out a gasp, instantly regretting it as her body resented the action.

"What? How?" Poe asked.

"They didn't have any protection. They moved all shielding to the back of the ship to protect against fire coming from the Star Destroyers. They didn't anticipate that – oh God," Connix explained.

Nova stumbled slightly, moving backwards to lean against a wall. She slid down it, staring at her knees as she fought off the pain and anger building up inside her. She'd just lost her father, she couldn't lose her mother too.

Poe crouched down next to her, brushing her hair out of her face. "I know, Nova. I know."

Nova remained silent, closing her eyes against the tears. The pain was starting to lessen, which was the only bright side she could find to anything.

"Poe," Finn called from a little way down the hall, where he was standing with Connix.

Poe glanced at him then looking back to Nova. "I'll be back," he said, planting a kiss to the side of her head before getting up and running to Finn.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova couldn't tell how long she'd stayed sitting on the floor, aimlessly staring at the walls or some small detail on her flight suit. BB-6 had stayed by her the whole time, offering the occasional comforting or humorous remark. Nova had given a small smile at a few of them, but that had been her limit.

She looked up as Poe returned, running a hand through his hair out of stress. Nova stood up waiting for him to answer the question that had been plaguing both their minds.

"She's fighting," he said.

Nova let out a sigh of relief, letting a few tears finally fall. She buried her face in Poe's neck as he pulled her into a hug.

"You know your mother, Nova. She'd never leave you without putting up one hell of a fight first. She wouldn't do that to any of us. She's strong. And right now, that's what we all need to be. You know that's what she'd want."

Nova nodded. "Yeah. It's just hard."

"I know. I know."

Poe kept his arms tightly wrapped around her waist, holding her as close as he possibly could. He could not believe what she had to go through, and was planning to do everything within his power to help her through it.

Nova closed her eyes, taking in the smell of smoke and oil that radiated from Poe. She wasn't surprised that it comforted her. It didn't surprise her that everything about him comforted her. She wished she could stay in his arms forever.

The hug eventually broke, and Nova lifted her hand to cup Poe's cheek. Her thumb traced the small scar in his cheek bone, her light eyes never leaving his dark ones. She wished their lives weren't so destruction filled and complicated. Nova knew they could still be together in the present, but didn't want the risk of pain in the future.

So, she'd told herself her feelings were nothing. Merely fleeting fancies, and they'd be gone within the month. She told herself that same story every month for the past two years. But Poe was a hard to quit addiction. And with every minute of every hour, Nova realised she had absolutely no intention of quitting.

She just wished she could stop holding herself back. She wished she would take the dive.


	32. Chapter 32

"General Organa..." D'Acy started, surveying the group before her. "Leia... is unconscious, but recovering. That is the only good new I have. Admiral Ackbar... all our leadership, they're gone. Leia was the soul survivor on the bridge."

Murmurs of shock and sadness washed over the pilots, and a more than a few looks were cast towards Nova. She kept her head down, knotting her fingers together to distract herself as she once again felt like she'd been punched in the gut. Poe's hand rested on her leg, his thumb tracing patterns over the fabric of her orange flight suit.

"If she were here," D'Acy continued, "she'd say 'save your sorrow for after the fight'. And to that end. The chain of command is clear as to who should take her place. Vice Admiral Holdo, of the cruiser Ninka."

Nova noticed Poe's expression fall slightly, causing her to raise an eyebrow. Maybe she would have considered the possibility he'd be left in charge if it hadn't been for the dreadnaught attack a few hours ago. And if that wasn't enough, the demotion was another sure sign that he'd dropped a few places on who Leia would want in charge.

"Thank you, Commander," Holdo said. Her dress swept the floor as she stepped forward, looking around at the sceptical and sorrow filled faces of the Resistance. "Four hundred of us on three ships. We're the very last of the Resistance, but we're not alone. In every corner of the galaxy, the downtrodden and oppressed know our symbol. And they put their hope in it. We are the spark that will ignite the fire that will restore the Republic. That spark: this Resistance, must survive. That is our mission. Now, to your stations. And may the force be with us."

Everyone got up, murmuring various things to each other as they headed to where they were needed. Poe and Nova were among the few who had remained seated. Nova chewed her tongue, trying her best to come to a conclusion about Holdo. She knew she could remember her, but she couldn't remember from where or if it even been good.

"That's Admiral Holdo? Battle of Chyron Belt Admiral Holdo?" Poe said to a pilot sat on the other side of him.

The other pilot shrugged.

"Not what I expected," Poe said, standing up to go and talk to the Admiral.

"Poe –" Nova said warningly, rolling her eyes as he ignored her.

"Vice Admiral?" he said, following her as she stood in front of some screens. "Commander Dameron. With our current fuel consumption there is a very limited amount of time we can keep out of range of those star destroyers."

"Very kind of you to make me aware," Holdo flatly replied, not even looking at him.

"And we need to shake 'em before we find a new base, so... what's our plan?"

"Our plan, Captain? Not Commander, right? Wasn't it Leia's last official act to demote you? Because of your dreadnaught plan. Where we lost our entire bombing fleet?" Holdo turned to look at him, examining him with one eyebrow raised.

Poe sighed, gritting his teeth. He'd really hoped that Holdo hadn't heard about his demotion; but word travels fast amongst the Resistance. It was a wonder anyone had any secrets left to hide, and he knew many people who had succeeded in keeping things hidden. Nova being a prime example. "'Captain.' 'Commander.' You can call me whatever you want. I just want to know what's going on."

"Of course you do. I understand." Holdo leant forward slightly in an almost taunting manner, still maintaining a cool composure. "I've dealt with plenty of trigger-happy flyboys like you. You're impulsive. Dangerous. And the last thing we need right now. So, stick to your post, and follow my orders."

Poe was left, looking and feeling a little stunned as the new leader of the Resistance stalked off to the other side of the bridge. He ran a hand over his face, feeling even more conflicted over whether he could trust her or not.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova looked up as Poe walked by her and off of the bridge. She didn't think too much of it, moving her attention back to the bandage around her hand. She'd been fiddling with it for the past few minutes, randomly tightening and loosening it to distract herself.

Someone sat down next to her, and she raised her head slightly. She was ready to give whoever it was a look that would hopefully get them to leave her alone. She didn't want people's sympathy. But, to her surprise, it was Holdo who had taken a seat by her side.

"Vice Admiral," she said respectfully.

"You don't have to address me like that, Nova," Holdo said; her voice was warm and calm.

Nova refused to let her guard drop. "Do I know you?"

She didn't notice Holdo's expression drop at her words. The older woman maintained a cool exterior, trying to find the best words. She wasn't surprised by what Nova had said, knowing a little more than most in the Resistance knew about her past.

"I saw you a lot when you were growing up. I'm not surprised you don't remember, you were only ten when I last saw you. How many years ago was that?"

"About seventeen," Nova replied.

"Right," Holdo nodded.

The pair sat in a somewhat awkward silence, letting everything go one around them undisturbed. Nova's mind turned and twisted, trying to form a definite opinion of the Vice Admiral.

"You got a plan?" she finally asked, keeping her gaze on the floor.

"Yes," Holdo said. There was a pause after her answer, which Nova had thought she'd fill with what her plan was. But, after a few minutes had passed, she realised she was not going to get the answers she had hoped for.

She abruptly got up and left the bridge, unconsciously clenching her jaw as she did. If Holdo really knew who she was, why hadn't she told her even an ounce of the plan? She hadn't mentioned any reason to her as to why she would treat her as untrustworthy, as she had overheard her do to Poe.

Once again, Nova had been left with more questions than she liked, paired with an uneasy feeling about her new leader. And what with the incident at the hanger; feeling her brother's presence, questions were quickly starting to outnumber answers.

And they didn't look to be stopping.

As Nova reached her makeshift room, she could feel another presence; a presence she hadn't thought possible to feel. Then again, she hadn't thought it possible to feel anything through the force after her interrogation on board that Star Destroyer not six days ago. Perhaps she hadn't done as good a job as she'd thought.

Hesitantly, she punched in the code to her room, shutting her eyes as she pressed the final button. She almost didn't dare to look up as the door slid open with a loud hiss and clang. Her eyes didn't open until she heard it securely close behind her again.

A shocked smile graced her face as her eyes fell upon the two figures in front of her; their bodies surrounded by a faint a mystical blue light, but exactly how Nova had remembered them. Looking and feeling the same way they always had, right up until death.


	33. Chapter 33

"Wha –? How – how can I be seeing you?" Nova whispered. She could feel her legs growing weaker and weaker under her weight, and her breathing started to become jagged and heavy.

"Hey, hey, hey. You're okay, you're all right," Elara said. She took a step towards her, but then remembered that it would be entirely useless, given she couldn't touch her.

"Yeah, yeah. But – NO! I can't be seeing you. I closed myself off from the force, this shouldn't be possible."

"Correction: you tried to close yourself off from the force. When you 'locked' Kylo Ren out of your mind, you closed yourself off temporarily. But, obviously, you subconsciously opened yourself back up," the second figure, Fenna, explained.

Nova nodded, sliding down the wall behind her. Her face fell into her hands as she sighed, trying to calm herself back down. "What do you mean 'obviously?'" she asked incredulously.

"Well, you can see us, can't you? And you've felt things. Like your father's death and your brother's presence."

"I suppose," Nova said, frowning slightly. She pushed herself up off of the floor, crossing her arms over her chest. Something about the whole situation had set her on edge to begin with, and that comment had only furthered her suspicions. Not even Poe knew about her sensing her brother. "How did you know about that?"

"We've never really left you, Nova," Elara said, smiling warmly.

Nova returned a half smile. Elara's words had done nothing to comfort her, though it was clear she was trying. Maybe even a little bit too hard...

"So, what's the problem?" Fenna said, diverting the trio back onto whatever track they supposedly were meant to be on.

Nova bit her lip, choosing her words with extreme care. "It's the new leader of the Resistance. I'm not sure how much I can trust her—"

"Kill her."

"What?!"

"Kill her. Or do a mutiny. If you don't think she's the right leader, you should take her place," Elara said.

"That's not what I'm getting at," Nova replied firmly.

"No, but it's what you're thinking," Fenna said.

"How would you know?"

Both girls smirked, exchanging a dark look. "We see your mind, Nova. You don't hide as well as you think."

Nova's face hardened, and she glared at the two people before her. "Well, it would seem you're not so good at disguises either."

She stood her ground; back straight and feet firmly planted. Elara and Fenna mimicked her, levelling a steady gaze towards her.

"Oh, but I see you, Nova. I see your power, your potential. If you opened yourself up, just a little more, you'd have enough power to overthrow your brother."

"LIES! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Nova screamed, instinctively moving her hand up in front of her body. The two figures that had stood before her flew back into the wall, shattering into a thousand pieces and vanishing like they had never been there to begin with. Nova fell backwards; her back collided with the wall and soon after that, the floor. She clutched and pulled at her hair, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova couldn't tell if fifteen minutes or fifteen hours had passed by the time she stepped out of her room. She had done her best to straighten out her appearance; hoping people would ignore her and not question her about the red around her eyes or her rather heavy breathing.

She finished adjusting her thigh holster as Poe approached her, closely followed by Finn and a maintenance worker who she soon recognised to be Rose. She raised an eyebrow as they stopped in front of her, looking around at the passing Resistance members warily. "What is it?"

"We can't talk here. Come on," Poe said, gently grabbing her arm so that the four of them could walk on.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Nova asked, keeping her gaze fixed ahead.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, just give it to me one more time, simpler," Poe said, looking between Finn and Rose as he tried to put together everything they'd just said.

"I thought it was pretty simple," Nova muttered, continuing to toy with the loose plait in her hair absentmindedly with one hand. Her other hand rested on that of her unconscious mother's, tracing patterns over her skin delicately. Leia always used to do a similar thing for her whenever she woke up late in the night from a bad dream back when she was a child.

Poe rolled his eyes at the back of her head.

"So, the First Order is only tracking us from one Destroyer: the lead one," Finn explained.

"So, we blow that one up?"

Nova rolled her eyes, still keeping her back turned towards her friends.

"I like where your head's at but no, they'd only start tracking us from another Destroyer."

Rose went to add to the conversation, but Finn continued talking and cut her off without even noticing.

"But if we sneak on board the lead Destroyer and disable the tracker without them realising –"

"They won't realise it's off for one system cycle," Rose cut him off, flashing him a slightly irritated look as she did. "About six minutes."

"Sneak on board. Disable the tracker. Our fleet escapes before they realise," Finn finished, leaving a beat between each abridged step for Rose to illustrate it with the holograms. 

Poe thought for a moment, staring at the final hologram as everything finally came together for him.

"How did you two meet?" he asked, turning back to look at them as he made his way over to Nova. Nova looked up as he reached her, leaning back on his body as he stood behind her. His hands rubbed her shoulders comfortingly, while his gaze rested on Leia.

"Just luck," Rose said.

"Yeah? Good luck?"

"Not sure yet."

"Poe, we gotta do this," Finn said. "It'll save the fleet, and it'll save Rey."

"Plus, it looks like our only option," Nova said.

"Holdo didn't tell you anything either?" Poe muttered, quite surprised. Out of the two of them, he was sure Nova would have been told something.

Nova shook her head.

"If I must be the soul voice of reason, Admiral Holdo will never agree to this plan," C-3PO said.

"Yeah, you're right, Threepio," Poe agreed, turning back to look at the protocol droid, Finn and Rose. "It's a need-to-know plan. And she doesn't."

"That wasn't exactly what I –"

"Threepio, shush," Nova said, quickly getting up to join the rest of the team.

"All right, you guys shut down that tracker, Nova and I will be here to jump us to lightspeed. The question is, how do we sneak the two of you onto Snoke's Destroyer?"

"We steal clearance codes," Rose quickly chimed in.

"No, they're biohexacrypted and rescramble every hour. We can't get through their shields undetected. Nobody can," Finn said.

Nova thought for a moment. "Wait."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Could I do it? Of course I could do it! But I can't do it. I'm a little tied down right now!" Maz Kanata said, quickly turning away from them to shoot at some unknown enemies.

"Maz, what is happening?" Finn said, leaning around Rose to try and get a better look.

"Union dispute," Maz shrugged, narrowly dodging a shot aimed at her head. "You do not want to hear about it. But, lucky for you, there's exactly one guy I trust who can crack that kind of security."

Nova bit the inside of her cheek. She had been on too many missions with the 'I know a guy' set up. And frequently, the guy had been as shifty and unwilling to help as they come. Choosing profit over the greater good. Many of their supposed allies had betrayed them for credits from the First Order, given that they had a lot more money than the Resistance.

"He's a master codebreaker, an ace pilot, a poet with a blaster," Maz listed off, before cutting herself off to fight.

"Oh my, it sounds like this codebreaker fellow can to everything," 3PO commented.

"Oh yes, he can," Maz said, becoming lost in thought.

Poe and Nova exchanged looks, both of them equally confused and trying to hide a small laugh.

"You will find him with a red plom bloom on his lapel, rolling at a high-stakes table. In the casino, on Canto Bight."

"Canto Bight?" Poe said in disbelief, gesticulating at thin air before turning back to Maz. "Maz, is there any way we can take care of this ourselves?"

"Sorry, kiddo. This is rarefied cracking. You wanna get on that Destroyer, I only know one option. Find the Master Codebreaker."

The transmission cut off abruptly, leaving the five rebels in a somewhat stunned silence. Nova folded her arms, tapping her thumb on her arm anxiously. She didn't like the whole notion of a 'Master Codebreaker' in the slightest. It was far too risky, with very bad odds. But she also knew that they were running low on time, and it had become their only option.

Poe seemed to share her distaste with the situation. He kept his gaze on the floor and a stern look on his face.

Finn sighed, looking down at his wrist where Leia's cloaked binary beacon rested securely. He carefully slipped it into his palm, holding it up to Poe with a pleading look on his face. He noted the slight shock that clouded his friend's face momentarily, but he kept his hand outstretched.

Finally, Poe gave in, taking the beacon and slipping it around his own wrist.


	34. Chapter 34

In a room, tucked away down a hallway of the Supremacy, Kylo Ren paced back and forth. His black boots stomped and squeaked against the even blacker floor, slowly increasing in speed each time he turned to walk to the other side of the room again. To say he was agitated would have been an understatement.

Eventually he came to a stop, falling back into his seat in angry resignation. He had almost punched the medical droid that moved to try and continue to treat the long cut across his face. But, luckily for the droid, it had moved before his fist could reach it.

Kylo was unable to stay seated for long; he was like a fidgety child who'd been told to sit out of the way and be quiet. He moved to stand again, walking over to the opposite wall. There he stopped, irritably resting his head against the smooth and cold structure.

He didn't understand. Why had he seen her? What was so significant about her? Other than her very strong force sensitivity and ability with a lightsabre, what made her so special? But, more importantly, how had he seen her? Even with her strength with the force, she couldn't have possibly been able to do that, and when he'd told her as such, she'd all but agreed. Even if she hadn't actually said so, her reactions were just as shocked as his at the whole situation.

He shook his head, trying to dismiss his thoughts. He didn't want the Supreme Leader to question him about them; giving him another reason to suspect any weakness. He went to move back to his seat, but stopped in his tracks when he saw her.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova ran a hand through her hair, pushing it away from her face slowly. She fiddled absentmindedly with the loose braid she'd done and redone multiple times over the last hour. It was also the first time she'd been alone for the past hour. Poe had left to ensure that Finn and Rose could sneak away from the fleet without Holdo noticing, leaving Nova alone with her thoughts.

She moved her hand from her hair to the bandage around her other hand. It was barely staying on it, sliding up and down her skin depending on how she was positioned. She carefully tugged at the knot, letting the material fall loose and into her palm.

She turned her hand over, examining the burn. The skin was a duller red than before, but none the less painful to look at. She gently touched it with a finger, drawing back quickly as it started to sting. It was a mercy it wasn't her dominant hand.

Nova sighed, looking up at what she had expected to just be the opposite wall. But instead, it seemed like she was looking through a window at another room. A darker room. Her blood began to boil as she properly saw everything in said room.

She tentatively rose, walking over to face her brother properly. Her eyes narrowed as she looked over his appearance, noting the fresh cuts on his face. She didn't need to think twice about how he got the largest one. Rey had done a fine job.

She kept her guard up, keeping a cool exterior as Kylo Ren looked her over the same way she'd looked at him. She could tell he didn't have a clue what was going on, unlike her. She wasn't stupid, but she also didn't know why Snoke would show her her brother.

But she wasn't going to let this situation go to waste. There were several less than polite things she wanted to say to him. She slowly lifted her hand, bringing her index finger to rest near his shoulder. Her eyes widened when she found that she didn't just pass through him like she'd thought.

Kylo seemed just as shocked as she was. His gaze rested on her hand, frowning as he did.

Nova quickly brought his stare back to her as she brought her hand back and smacked it across his face. Hard. 

Kylo almost fell back from the force, grunting in surprise. And he'd thought Rey shooting at him had been bad.

"Look at what you've done," Nova hissed, gesturing to her unconscious mother behind her. "And what you did to our father. Why? Because they actually cared enough for you?"

Kylo stayed quiet, looking down at the ground.

"If you're determined to kill off your entire family, how come I'm still alive? You had the perfect chance to kill me, but you didn't. Why?"

Again, he stayed silent.

"ANSWER ME!"

"I don't know..."

Nova laughed. Unlike her usual half-hearted or mirth filled laugh, this one was laced with venom and hatred. There was no happiness, only a want for revenge. "That's a first."

There was a tension filled pause between the two before Nova spoke again. "I can understand why you killed dad. You always hated him, but—"

"I didn't hate him," Kylo countered.

"No, shut up. You don't get to talk. But why would you do this to our mother? Our mother who always saw and wanted the best for you? Our mother who always had faith that you could come home?"

Kylo went to counter her again, but cut himself off as he saw the door behind Nova open.

Nova turned at the sound, spotting Poe as he entered. His expression changed from a fairly neutral one to one filled with concern in a matter of seconds when he saw her.

"Nova, you all right?"

Nova turned to look behind her again, but was met with only the blank white wall of the room. She turned back to her friend, offering him a small nod. "They're safely away I take it?"

"Yeah. Holdo didn't question Connix whatsoever."

"Good, now let's just hope everything goes smoothly for Finn and Rose."

"Hmm," Poe agreed. He didn't feel like either of them were the most qualified for the job of finding a master codebreaker on one of the most upper-class planets in the galaxy, but he hadn't argued when Nova had shot down the idea of all four of them going. They'd come to a compromise after a small muttered conversation, telling Rose and Finn to take BB-8 with them.

"Stop it," Nova smirked. "You know why we couldn't have gone. Holdo has her eye on both of us, and if we suddenly dropped of the radar, there'd be more hell to pay."

"Uh huh, I know. I still have a bad feeling though."

"So do I."


	35. Chapter 35

Nova all but threw herself onto her temporary bed as the door shut behind her, letting out a loud huff as she did. "This is ridiculous!"

"Nothing?" Poe asked from beside her, having moved to avoid her slamming into him as she hit the bed.

"Nope!" Nova snapped irritably, getting up to pace about the shadowed room. "I mean, if she had a plan, she'd have to tell us so as not to start a mass panic! There's only four hundred of us left! So why the hell she hasn't –" she trailed off as she kicked the wall, stumbling back as the sound of boot hitting solid metal rang out loudly around the closed space.

"Did that help?" Poe asked, standing up to support her as she walked back to the bed.

"Yes."

"Did that hurt?"

"Yes," she said, doing her best to swallow most of her pain.

Poe rolled his eyes, taking a seat next to her as she checked she hadn't broken her foot, which she thankfully hadn't. "I just can't help but feel on edge about all of this. And when I'm stressed, well I don't exactly process it well."

"Oh, I know. And I think the wall knows too."

"Shut up, and be lucky it wasn't your shin. And you know you can be just as bad."

"I'm not gonna argue that," he agreed. "But, didn't you say she knew you? That should at least count for something, trust wise."

"Yeah, but I don't remember her. Trust has to go both ways," Nova pointed out.

Poe sighed, sinking further into the mattress defeatedly. "We're running out of time."

"I know."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sweetheart, come downstairs, please."

Nova was quick to scurry out of her room and down the stairs, long brown locks and pale blue dress blowing in the breeze she created as she went. Her bare feet hit the smooth floor with little thuds, and her giggles were heard by the two women standing in the hall before they even saw her.

"Aunty Holdo!" she squealed excitedly, running towards the older women who bent down to pick her up as she reached her.

"Hey!" she laughed, looking at the small child in her arms sweetly. "How's my little supernova doing, huh?"

"Hehe, daddy's been teaching me how to fly!" Nova exclaimed.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. She's shaping up to be a pretty good pilot," Leia smiled proudly. She was always glad to see her daughter happy and smiling without a care in the world, as any parent would be. She wanted to give her daughter the best childhood possible, free from looming threats like the Empire. And so far, that had been an easy task.

"Are you still planning to send her to train with your brother?" Holdo asked, maintaining her hold on Nova so as not to drop her.

"Once she's a little older," Leia said.

Nova looked over Holdo's shoulder as she heard another person enter the room. She felt the colour drain from her face and her eyes go wide as they fell upon the three forms standing behind her.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova straightened her back and clenched her fists as she stared at Ben, Fenna and Elara. All of their expressions remained unreadable; they just stood there, watching her intently. Nova's eyes burned with an icy fire.

"Nova? What is it, what's wrong?"

Nova flinched as Poe touched her shoulder, drawing her out of her trance. She moved away from him out of instinct, hugging her body as she tried to hide her shaking and panicked breathing. She looked back up to find they were alone in the room once again.

"Nothing. I'm fine." Her tone was by no means convincing, and she cursed herself for it inside her head. She was almost thankful when the emergency sirens summoning all available crew to the bridge rang out across the ship; though slightly dulled by the thick door.

"We should go," she said, getting up and heading to the door without looking back.

Poe remained sat on the bed for a few seconds after the door closed behind her, running a hand over his face. He could tell Nova was lying to him, he'd known her long enough to pick up on her tendencies, but he didn't know why. Yes, she was a secretive person by nature, but he was the closest person to her besides her mother. If she was keeping secrets from even him, something very serious was wrong. And with Nova, that could be any number of things.

He tried to push the thoughts to the back of his mind as he moved to follow her to the bridge. If all went well, he could ask her when they were safely away from the First Order. If not, he'd do his best to find an appropriate time. He never liked to see people hurting; least of all the woman he loved.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The smaller ships will run out of fuel first. We need to start evacuating their crews to the flagship. Starting with the medical frigate."

Poe had caught up to Nova on the bridge just as Holdo finished laying out what needed to be done. He glanced around the room, noting many rigid backs and eyes glued to screens. On looking at Holdo, he could see that she did not sense the discomfort in the room. She either couldn't see it or was just refusing to acknowledge it.

Nova was not among the doubting crew. She knew they couldn't afford to keep the smaller ships running with their severe lack of fuel, and abandoning the ships and evacuating the crew was the best option. She was surprised to see that Poe couldn't see that; though he was prone to missing the bigger, frequently obvious picture when he thought he was right.

"So, we abandon the Anodyne," he said. "What's gonna change after that, Admiral? What happens when we run out of ships to run to?"

Holdo glared at him icily. "I know you want some sort of daring plan, yes? Dashing heroes, single-handed day-saving? That's what you're after?"

"We just want to know the plan," Nova said despairingly. "Everyone does."

"And at the appropriate time, you will," Holdo assured the duo. "But just so we're clear: There will be no idiotic heroics or daring plans on my watch. Now, follow my orders."

And with that, she turned back to the monitor, dismissing the pilots. Poe looked at Nova in sheer disbelief. His disbelief only grew when he saw the calm look on her face. He averted his gaze when she saw he was watching her.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Anodyne had already fallen a good distance behind the rest of the fleet by the time Poe and Nova were sent over to help in the evacuation. It was out of range of the envelope created by the Raddus's shield, leaving it dangerously vulnerable. Every shot from the First Order fleet behind them shook the ship, sending sparks and small fires down the corridors. Fuel was about to run out, and so was time. As soon as the fuel was spent, the ship would fall back and be destroyed.

Nova wiped her hands on her trousers, painting the khaki green fabric with smears of oil and goodness knows what else. Many medicine containers and bacta tanks had been damaged from the shaking of the ship or from being knocked over and dropped by hurrying medics.

The young Resistance pilot sprinted back out of the hanger, helping a group of medics move patients and themselves onto the transports. She had forgotten just how many people were in fact aboard the medical frigate. Time was everything, and incidentally something they had very little of. It was going to be a close call at best.

She spotted Poe helping a pair of younger medics not far behind her. She paused for a second, waiting for him to acknowledge her while she ushered people into the hanger. It wasn't long before he spotted her, and she gave him a reassuring nod before turning back to escorting people to transports.

Poe looked back down once she turned her back to him, chewing the inside of his cheek. Her expression had remained unreadable to him. He still couldn't understand why she had looked so calm when Holdo had given the order, when before she had wanted nothing to do with any plans Holdo would come out with when she was still hiding something.

He knew he'd have to confront her about it, but their last confrontation hadn't ended well. He didn't like arguing with Nova, and he knew Nova didn't like arguing in general, but she wasn't always the most honest person. She even admitted it, and he understood why it was hard for her to always be truthful. Hiding was easier. But when it was something that could destroy everything they'd worked to defend, he knew an argument was inescapable.

A few minutes later, and the final transports were safely away from the crippled and burning mess that had once been the Anodyne. Nova leaning against the glass, her face faintly illuminated in orange as she watched it fall behind and be blasted to pieces.

Poe was quick to join her, looking out at the stars anxiously. "Finn, Rose, where are you guys?" he muttered to himself.

Nova's gaze flicked from his face and back to the floor as she chewed her lip. The more she thought about it, the riskier the plan seemed. It was incredibly bad odds. It had been the only option she'd had any faith and certainty about. But now, she wasn't so sure.

She knew Poe was suspicious of her doubts, and that he really didn't like them. It was going to be a long six hours.


	36. Chapter 36

Poe was very pointedly avoiding the bridge (especially since he had been barred from it by Holdo). He had instead elected to wander the hallways of the Raddus, occasionally dipping into the medical suites and other rooms where his surviving fellow pilots were situated. He was trying his best to keep hope and spirits somewhat high; but it was proving to be a harder task by the minute. The last time he'd checked with Connix, fuel was down to barely five hours, and there was only silence on Finn and Rose's end of the commlink. Nova had also disappeared after the evacuation of the medical frigate was complete, not even looking at him as she walked away. Poe had chosen to let her be, not wanting to cause any unnecessary aggressive confrontations.

He wasn't the biggest fan of the quiet and unrest that seemed to flood the corridors, but he was glad for even a few moments of solitude. It gave him some time to really think about the enigma that was Nova Organa. 

Poe couldn't remember seeing Nova so shaken up by anything until the last few days. And what was worse was that she wasn't telling him a single thing. He felt hurt that she wasn't talking to him about what was going on; they'd always had an unspoken agreement that they'd always tell the other if something was pressing on their minds. And recently, Nova had not been keeping to it. In hindsight, Poe realised a lot of things could have been avoided if the agreement had actually been made official between them.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova was lying on the floor of her room, letting the cold from the metal seep through her white shirt to hit her back. One arm rested behind her head while the other was draped across her stomach. Her eyes were glassed over as she stared up at the ceiling.

She felt guilty.

She felt guilty for not speaking out against Poe's plan; if she had, many fighters might still be alive. Even if they had solved a short-term problem then and there, the long-term problem had only increased in size. Not only that, but she felt guilty for not explaining her actions during their last meeting with Holdo. Then again, she herself was still questioning those actions. Neither side of the coin had a solid grasp on the situation, but if they were going to get through the next few hours without dying, Holdo had the better plan even if it wasn't entirely clear.

Nova's jaw clenched as she thought of how intransigent Poe was being. His head was too full of fantasies of dying like a martyr; of sacrificing his life for the Resistance. Nova didn't hide the fact that she felt the same way on that matter, but it was not the time to die. If they died today, the Resistance would die with them, and so would any hope in the galaxy. Their movement was largely unknown and often written off by everyone to not be a threat. Too many people were ready to lie down and let the First Order rule, as time was, they had also been written off as a few people still clinging to the old ways of the Galactic Empire.

Those people were generally ignorant to it through no fault of their own. They had been born and raised during the peace. It was the politicians that had been the real problem. Though, with Hosnian Prime gone that was now irrelevant.

Nova had received word from a few contacts scattered across the galaxy that they had seen the decimation of the system and yet people still didn't see.

Nova sat up violently, almost headbutting BB-6 who up until that point had been sitting quietly in the corner. He let out a low beep to her, rolling back slightly as Nova adjusted herself.

"I'm all right," she assured, though her scratchy voice and slightly watery eyes gave her away. At least they would give her away to a human.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In his somewhat dazed wanderings, Poe had made it to Leia's room.

"How's she doing, Threepio?" he asked as he walked through the door.

"I'm afraid there hasn't been much change, Captain Dameron," C-3PO responded. "She's stable, but –"

Poe tuned the protocol droid out as he began to rattle on about things he was already aware of. He slowly sank into the vacant seat by Leia's bed, gently resting his hand on top of hers once again.

If only she was awake; he wouldn't be in either of his dilemmas. He would be aware of the plan and working with her to make sure the Resistance pulled through to fight another fight. And he would have someone to talk to as to what was going on in Nova's head. Next to him, Leia knew her best, what with Nova being her daughter. If anyone had a clue or was able to give him a shred of sensible advice, it would have been Leia.

Poe sighed forlornly. Nova was right about emotions being troublesome. But he did not hate them and wasn't afraid of them, even if he didn't always understand them.

"Sorry, what was that last part?" he asked, crashing back into the present and realising C-3PO was still talking.

The golden protocol droid seemed rather peeved that Poe hadn't been paying attention. "To reiterate, Captain – I know it's not my place to say, but might you have a little more faith in Admiral Holdo? The princess certainly did, and I've noticed that Captain Organa shares those views."

"I'll take it under advisement," Poe snapped, clenching his fist slightly as he thought back to the look Nova had given him on the bridge and during the evacuation.

"I also ask that you tread a little more carefully with Captain Organa. You know it's not been easy for her," 3PO continued.

"Yeah, I know." His tone had softened considerably. "I just – never mind."

C-3PO moved as though he was going to speak again, but decided against it.

'He may be fluent in over six million forms of communication, but he wouldn't be able to understand this,' Poe thought. 'And even if he did, he's too insufferable.'

With a final sigh, he stood up from where he had been sitting and walked out of the room.


	37. Chapter 37

"Is she in there?"

Nova turned from the screen she had been using to oversee the evacuation of their last support ship at the sound of Poe's voice.

'This is going to go brilliantly,' she thought sarcastically.

"The Admiral's banned you from the bridge," D'Acy reminded him as he pushed past her. "Let's not have a scene."

"Nah, let's."

D'Acy's further complaints fell on deaf ears as Poe strode onto the bridge. None of the other officers in the room dared to try and stop him as his gaze was already harshly locked on Holdo.

"Flyboy," she greeted dryly.

"Cut it, lady," Poe snapped. "We had a fleet. Now we're down to one ship, and you've told us nothing. Tell us that we have a plan. That there's hope!"

He glanced around the room, briefly locking eyes with Nova. He looked away from her quickly as he saw the warning glare in her eyes. Her jaw was tightly set as she looked between him and Holdo, and on the whole she looked like she was just about ready to throw something at his head.

Holdo remained collected in the face of his outburst. "When I served under Leia, she would say hope is like the sun. If you only believe in it when you can see it –"

"—you'll never make it through the night," Poe finished.

Holdo nodded, and the pair fell into a momentary silence; united by their shared regard for their General. The silence was painfully short-lived.

Poe went to open his mouth to speak again but cut himself off as he noticed something on one of the screens behind the Vice Admiral.

"Are you fuelling up the transports?"

Holdo's face revealed nothing.

Nova chewed her bottom lip nervously, sure she'd end up drawing blood if she bit down any harder. But it was the only thing that was stopping her from screaming at both of them. She could take a stab in the dark at what Holdo was planning; and if she was correct in her assumptions, then she whole-heartedly agreed with her plan. But given Holdo was still wearing her poker face and wasn't giving an inch, she couldn't be sure. Nova had faith in her leadership skills and tactics, but she couldn't stand how secretive she was. That was the most obvious flaw she could find in her abilities, and it was a big one.

As for Poe, she'd been fighting the urge to scream many different things at him for the last few hours. He needed to stop being so hot-headed and rash all the time. Not only that, but he needed to stop thinking he knew what was best for the Resistance. Their last dog-fight had certainly proved him wrong in that regard.

"You are. All of them?" Poe asked incredulously. "We're abandoning ship? Is that – is that what you've got? Is that what you've brought us to?"

Nova flinched as Poe kicked over the two chairs that sat by the screens. Her face set into a scowl at his childish outburst, and she spotted a couple of rather scared technicians who had moved just in time to avoid being hit by either Poe or one of the overturned chairs.

"COWARD! Those transports are unarmed, unshielded. We abandon this cruiser, we're done! We don't stand a chance!" His words had drawn the attention of more technicians in the room, and Nova noted their now sceptical faces.

Poe turned back to look directly at Holdo. "No, you are not just a coward. You are a traitor."

"Get this man off my bridge," Holdo demanded, keeping her gaze levelled at him.

Two soldiers moved to escort him out of the room, but quickly stood down after a look from Nova. She strode across the room purposefully, grabbing Poe by the back of his jacket to forcefully remove him. Her grip only tightened and her pace increased as Poe tried to shake her off.

The door slid shut as they made it to the corridor, and Nova relinquished her grip on him.

"What the hell was that about?" she spat.

Poe rounded on her, but she held her ground as he looked down at her. "You know, I've been meaning to ask you a similar question."

"This is the best option we have. We can't afford to always go in, guns blazing," she said, doing her best to keep her composure as she looked up at him.

"I don't get it, Nova! How can you blindly trust her when she isn't telling us anything? I thought you were always the slow one when it came to trusting people!"

"It's not blind! And when my only other option is siding with you; and you seem determined to get us all killed at this point, what do you expect? We will never win if we die today!"

"You don't get it do you?"

"What?!"

The pair were standing virtually nose to nose, brown eyes blazing with an untameable fury on both sides.

"Why are you so ready to lie down and take it? To stop fighting and just run! You can't just run from everything every time it gets difficult for you!"

"You think this is easy for me? The man I love and want to be able to trust is screaming at me and accusing me of potentially being a traitor to not only my own damn mother but also the entire galaxy! Do you have any idea how much that hurts?!"

Nova nearly stumble back out of shock at her own words. She could not believe she'd just let that slip. Of all the ways she'd imagined or dreaded that inevitable revelation, this was by far the worst. She made sure to keep her eyes fixed on the man in front of her, fighting every urge she had to run and hide and hope that the whole situation never actually happened and was just some cruel mind trick.

Poe also kept his eyes locked on her, scanning her face for even the tiniest hint of a lie. He too had imagined that moment would go rather differently, and now that it was happening, he was struggling to process it. He was shocked, not only from Nova's outburst but at the fact that he was completely lost for words.

Nova went to turn and walk away, worried that she might punch him in the nose out of sheer embarrassment.

Poe didn't think twice about what he did next. He grabbed Nova's wrist before she could leave, pulling her back around to face him. Nova flinched at the contact; not only had it been unexpected and rather harsh, but it had disturbed the bandage she still wore over the burn on her left hand. She managed to balance herself so that she didn't collide with Poe's chest.

Poe didn't hesitate in crashing his lips onto hers as soon as she was turned around, and he was surprised that this time, it was not one sided; Nova had reacted almost instantly, grabbing onto his jacket while his hands moved to rest on her waist. Neither one of them could figure out what had come over them as they continued, the kiss getting deeper by the second. Unlike their first kiss, which had been sweet, calm and momentary, this kiss was rough, passionate and lingering. 

Nova snapped back to herself as they finally broke away, breathing heavy and eyes still closed. She kept her gaze fixed on the floor for a second, trying to recollect her thoughts.

She felt guilty for what she did next.

Out of pure reflex she slapped him. She regretted it instantly, seeing the hurt on Poe's face as soon as her hand met his cheek. Nova chewed her lip, fighting the urge to scream or full on break down crying out of an emotional overload. After a few seconds she turned and headed back onto the bridge, leaving Poe to stand alone in the cold, white hallway.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova slid down the wall, resting her head on her knees as she hit the floor. She let out heavy and almost animalistic breaths, running over everything in her head again and again.

Why did she have to be such an idiot? Why did she always have to push people away? Why couldn't she just let herself love him and him love her?

She looked up as she felt someone stand over her, quickly swiping her hand across her cheek to discard the stray tear that had slipped out.

"Admiral."

Holdo looked down at her kindly, offering the brunette a hand to pull her up. Nova accepted, standing up somewhat shakily.

"I'm sorry," Holdo said quietly.

Nova nodded. She wasn't surprised that she had heard at least a part of the argument; neither her or Poe had even tried to be discreet about it. "So am I. That whole situation should have gone very differently. It was my fault."

"Now, I'm sure that's not true. I'm not placing blame here, and you shouldn't either. You should put it behind you and focus on now. Don't waste time thinking about how you could have changed the past. It isn't healthy, and I can see it's holding you back from what you want."

Nova looked up to meet the older woman's piecing blue eyes. She knew she was right; she had just read her like a book. People are easiest to read when they're hurting after all. She shut her eyes, letting out a long breath. Hopefully nothing worse would happen.

"Thanks you."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, a stormtrooper and a who-now are doing what?"

Nova was stood a little way behind Poe, face covered with a sheet of shock. She couldn't believe that Poe had actually told Holdo about his plan.

"They're trying to save us. This is our best chance for escape. You have to give Finn and Rose all the time that you can."

"You have bet the survival of the Resistance on bad odds and put us all at risk?" Holdo said in disbelief. "There's no time now. We have to get clear of the cruiser. Load the transports!"

Holdo moved past Poe in an attempt to reach Nova and the various other commanders and higher-ups who were stood around her.

"Yeah, I was afraid you'd say that," Poe sighed, looking to Connix and the remaining pilots. All of them turned to face Holdo's group, pulling out their blasters to keep them in place.

"Vice Admiral Holdo. I am relieving you of your command for the survival of this ship, its crew and the Resistance."

"I hope you understand what you're doing," Holdo said, keeping her gaze level.

"Yeah, I'm going to the bridge," Poe said, stepping forward with Connix not far behind him. "If they move, stun 'em."

"Are you really going to do this?" Nova spat, stepping out in front of him as he moved to pass her. 

"Yeah," Poe replied. "And, I don't think you're going to stop me, Nova."

Nova pulled her blaster from its holster, flicking it to stun as she pointed it at his chest. Her brown eyes burned with an ice-like fire.

"Stand down, Captain," Holdo gently warned her.

Poe smirked slightly, an action that nearly caused her to 'accidentally' pull the trigger to stun him and send him flying across the hanger. She didn't argue when Poe slowly pushed her blaster away from his chest until it rested by her side, letting him push past her and out of the hanger.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"BB-8, tell me something good," Poe said into the commlink as he strode down the hallways to the bridge. After a couple of seconds, he heard Finn's voice.

"Poe, we're almost there. Have the cruiser prepped for lightspeed."

"Yeah, I'm on it, pal. You just hurry."

The doors slid open to reveal the last few officers still on the bridge.

"Clear the bridge. Escort the officers down to the hanger," Poe ordered two of the pilots who had followed him as he headed to take control of the ship.

"Commander – uh, Captain Dameron," C-3PO quickly corrected himself. "Admiral Holdo was looking for you."

"Yeah, we spoke," Poe replied shortly.

"Sir, I am almost afraid to ask –"

"Good instinct, 3PO. Go with that."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova glanced around as the heavy thuds of the lights and power of the hanger going out filled her ears. She still couldn't believe Poe was conducting a mutiny. He was the last person she thought capable of doing that. She glanced over and met Holdo's eye, exchanging a conversation with just a look. She nodded, ready for what was about to happen next.

Holdo kicked a piece of machinery on the floor next to her, causing smoke to pour out and fill the space between them and the pilots. Blue streaks of light flew through the smoke in both directions, causing Nova to drop to the floor to avoid being stunned.

She crawled her way out of the hanger, running into two pilots who were escorting the remaining officers. She pulled her blaster out, gesturing for the pilots to leave the officers and enter the hanger. Neither of the pilots argued with the stern look on her face, and the fact that she was a dead-shot with a blaster.

"Follow me."


	38. Chapter 38

Poe watched on the monitor as the hanger filled with smoke and laser-fire. "Seal that door!"

Connix rushed over to the door in question, hitting the controls to shut and lock it fully. No one was getting in easily.

"Threepio, where do you think you're going?" Poe called warningly to the gold protocol droid as he saw him shuffling away towards one of the doors.

"It would be quite against my programming to be party to a mutiny," C-3PO defended.

"HEY!"

"It is not correct protocol!"

White sparks flew off of the door as it began to be cut down from the other side. All eyes in the room turned to look at it in a panic, and C-3PO quickly shuffled away from it with a cry of "neither is this!"

"Finn! We're ready to make the jump!" Poe called frantically to his friend.

More and more of the door was being cut away, and fairly soon it would come open. Connix and Poe quickly pulled their blasters, backing away behind various screens and such to avoid any impending blaster fire.

Poe's face fell worriedly as he heard shouting on the other end of the commlink. "They didn't make it."

Their entire plan had been for nothing.

With one final bang the door was blown open, sending debris across the room. Poe snapped up, tightening his grip on his blaster; ready to face whoever walked in. He quickly lowered it again when he saw who it was. "Leia!"

Leia fixed him with a hard stare before pulling her own blaster, firing off one single stun-shot to hit Poe square in the chest. The pilot went flying back into the wall, and was unconscious by the time he crumpled to the floor in the corner.

Connix and C-3PO both raised their arms in surrender, guilt covering them both.

Nova stepped out from where she'd been standing behind her mother in the doorway, motioning for the officers to take the offending trio down to the hanger. Connix and 3PO left with one of the officers without a word, while the remaining two moved to drag Poe out of the room. Nova crouched down by him before they pulled him up, gently running her hand across his cheek. She would not deny that it had been immensely satisfying to watch her mother knock him across the room without a single word.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"That one's a troublemaker," Holdo mused. "I like him."

"Me too," Leia chuckled.

Both women not so subtly glanced at Nova. She looked to down at her boots, trying to hide the blush that crept onto her face. Holdo and Leia exchanged a knowing look.

"You two are made for each other. Like minded enough to get along but also able to keep the other in check," Holdo said.

"I suppose," Nova admitted, a ghost of a smile on her lips. She was still undeniably ticked-off at Poe, but Holdo was right. Her and Poe needed each other to balance themselves out, whether they would admit it or not.

"Now, time to board your transport," Leia said, moving to board the shuttle along with her daughter. Both were surprised when Holdo was reluctant to follow.

"They're the transports to escape. Someone needs to stay behind and pilot the cruiser."

Nova went to protest and volunteer herself for the task, but a look from Holdo made her keep quiet.

'Of course, she'd already anticipated I'd do that,' Nova thought.

"Too many losses. I can't take anymore," Leia pleaded.

"Sure you can," Holdo said. "You taught me how."

"May the force be –" both women cut themselves off as they went to say the exact same thing. Nova hung her head as she let out a watery half-laugh with them.

"You know I've said it enough," Leia said.

Holdo smiled at her friend. "May the force be with you, always."

Leia reached out and took Holdo's hand, giving it one final parting squeeze, before turning to board the shuttle.

Nova stepped forward to give the Vice Admiral a parting hug, which Holdo gladly accepted.

"Thank you," Nova murmured as the pair parted.

"You know what to do, Nova."

The younger woman nodded, offering Holdo a determined smile before she too turned to step onto the transport. She hadn't thought she'd have to make so many pre-emptive goodbyes in those last few days, and she hadn't accounted for how much each one would hurt. 

She walked to the cockpit of the shuttle, hoping that thinking about flying and piloting would take her mind off things.

"Cloaking device activated. We should be off their scopes."

"Let's hope this works," D'Acy said, sharing a worried glance with Nova.

Nova nodded reassuringly, though who she was reassuring more she didn't know.

The shuttle took off smoothly, closely following the other thirty or so containing the remains of the Resistance. Pilots. Officers. Medics. Captains. Commanders. All sparsely spread across tiny transport ships. Why had it come to this?

Nova sighed, turning to head back to her mother when she noticed that Poe was awake and stood with her. She walked over, taking a seat beside Leia as she refused to meet his gaze. 

"The mineral planet, Crait. An uncharted hideout from the days of the Rebellion," D'Acy said.

Nova looked out of the window to look at the planet in question. She had never heard of it in general, much less that it was of importance during the days of the Empire and Rebel Alliance. Most of it was shrouded in darkness from where she was sitting, but one area of the planet gave off a faint white light.

"That's a rebel base?" Poe said.

Nova bit back a sarcastic comment.

"Abandoned, but heavily armoured," D'Acy continued, "with enough power to get a distress signal to our allies scattered in the outer rim."

"Holdo knew the First Order was tracking our big ship, they're not monitoring for little transports," Leia explained.

Poe slowly sunk into his seat next to Leia, and Nova was certain that she could actually see him thinking.

"So, we could slip down to the surface unnoticed, and hide 'til the First Order passes. That could work."

Leia smiled, while Nova very visibly rolled her eyes.

"She was more interested in protecting the light than she was seeming like a hero," Leia explained.

Poe nodded giving both women a guilty look. Leia offered him a kind smile, while Nova kept up her not looking at him.

Poe looked down sadly. He'd screwed up in a lot of ways, but he knew he could have avoided at least one of them if he'd tried. There was no way Nova was going to forgive him for any of it, no matter how hard he tried. He'd never seen Nova so angry to the point where she wouldn't even look at him. He sighed, looking out towards where the Raddus was still floating through space, a rain of green lasers hitting the shields that had kept them safe for so long.

Suddenly, the entire shuttle shook as a bright flash of green flew by them, heavily colliding with another of the transports, ripping it apart in seconds. Another one soon followed. And another. And another.

Nova had whipped around at the sound of the first explosion, leaning to get as good a view as she could out of the window. The First Order was picking them off like it was nothing. Laser after laser sped by them, some finding a target while others flew off into the vast open space.

Poe almost knocked her over as he ran to the cockpit, but slowed down in order to steady her before leaving. They briefly made eye contact during those seconds, and Poe was sure that he saw genuine fear in Nova's eyes. It was a rare sight; Nova was usually quite skilled at hiding when she was scared.

Nova stayed stood beside Connix, frantically running a hand through her already dishevelled hair. The loose braid had since come undone, leaving a few sections of her hair wavier than usual. She moved closer to her mother, nervously taking her hand like she used to when she was a little girl. For at heart, she was still a scared child, building walls as high as she could to cover up her fears and pains. And it had certainly taken its toll.

The groan the Raddus surely made as it painstakingly turned around to face the First Order could almost be felt by everyone watching. The ship was large and was just about as manoeuvrable as a Bantha. The rear engines kicked back into life, light and flames spitting out behind them as they pushed the ship forward for what would be the final time.

"She's running away," Connix said to Poe, who had returned to standing between the Lieutenant and Nova.

"No, she isn't," Poe whispered, closely watching the scene unfold.

Everything that unfolded next seemed to go in slow motion. The Raddus flew into hyperspace in a blur, heading straight for the First Order fleet. It collided with the lead ship, the Supremacy, breaking through the left side of it with ease in a streak of white light. From there, the energy fractured out to the supporting Star Destroyers, ripping through them like candyfloss. Before long, everything harshly shifted back, and the remaining members of the Resistance were illuminated by the orange light from the explosion as the First Order fleet crumbled.

Nova felt her mother tighten her grip on her hand, seemingly offering her daughter what comfort she could. Nova leaned against her, shutting her eyes against the light. Out of the two of them, Leia had undoubtably taken the loss harder, but was still determined to make sure her daughter was okay before seeking any comfort herself.

She flinched away as she felt Poe's hand brush against hers. She didn't need to turn around to know it was him. No one had moved from where they stood in the last few minutes, too shell shocked to even consider it.

Poe simply nodded to himself, unsurprised by Nova's actions.

The rest of the journey to Crait was filled with a solemn silence.


	39. Chapter 39

Crait was oddly beautiful in a lonely and ghostlike way.

The desolate salt plains were certainly a sight to behold. Miles and miles of bright white stretching out as far as the eye could see, framed by tall and ridged mountains. The air was thick and undeniably smelled of the substance that covered the ground, though unlike the scent you would find near the sea on any planet that had such things, the smell was of the dry variety. That only added to the thickness of the air, adding a slightly oppressive atmosphere. The temperature was neither cold nor warm.

It was uninhabited and uncharted, which helped to further perpetuate the ghostlike feeling, floating alone in the outer rim around one lone star.

Very few lifeforms lived there, and most of those were some form of aquatic being. Save for the Vulptices; fox-like beings covered in coats made up of some crystalline substance, making them look similar to crystal chandeliers. Well, crystal chandeliers on four legs.

As for the old rebel base, it wasn't much different from the rest of the planet in its general first impression. Built into the side of a mountain, everything inside felt huge and empty. Nothing of any real value or use was left, having been cleared out when the base had been emptied. Tarps lay over empty boxes or pieces of what would now be viewed as junk. The shield door was old and slightly rusted, having been left slightly open for nearly three decades.

Leia stood alone at the entrance, looking out across the salt plains over the collar of her coat. It had been many, many years since she had been there; back when there had been so much more hope in the galaxy. She waited, spotting what she had been keeping an eye on since the few remaining transports had landed on the planet.

"They're coming, shut the door."

The door started to creek shut at a painfully slow rate, groaning at the effort. The three enemy ships sped towards it; a shuttle closely followed by two screaming TIE Fighters. The shuttle moved closer and closer to the ground as it approached the base, ready for at least some of it to break and make it under the door.

"INCOMING!"

Nova sprinted away from the door with a few Resistance soldiers, almost falling as the shuttle crashed under the door and continued to skid along the dirt. She waited, crouched behind a stack of crates before pulling out her blaster alongside the rest of the Resistance. She pushed forward to the front of the group beside her mother and Poe, keeping her finger firmly pressed on the trigger.

A cascade of blue lasers bombarded the ship, causing sparks to fly from it. It was already a wreck from the shield door, so it wouldn't take long for the blaster fire of the entire Resistance to wear it down and completely destroy it.

"Hold your fire!" Poe called, having noticed something off about it. Nova looked at him curiously before following his eyes to where two sets of hands were raised in surrender.

"Don't shoot! Hold your fire!"

The room fell quiet as everyone waited with baited breath to see what was going on. Nova let out a sigh of relief that she hadn't even realised she'd been holding in as Finn and Rose shakily climbed out of the ship. Both were dressed in what looked to be First Order uniforms, though Nova was hardly surprised. It wasn't easy to sneak round a Star Destroyer, much less the flag ship without a disguise.

"Finn? Rose! You're not dead!" Poe called happily to the pair. "Where's my droid?"

A few rather loud beeps alerted everyone to BB-8's presence. Poe darted forward to meet the orange and white droid halfway, kneeling down hand happily saying nothing in particular to him. Nova stifled a laugh, happy to see Poe reunited with his friend even if he was being a little over the top about it.

BB-6 quickly joined the reunion from behind C-3PO, rolling out to also greet BB-8. Poe stood up as the two droids moved towards each other, watching on with Nova as their droids conversed. After a minute or so of beeps, BB-8 turned and pushed himself into Poe's leg with as much force as he could.

Poe had seen it coming, being able to understand binary but still hadn't been prepared. A few laughs broke out from various people in the crowd as the Resistance captain nearly fell backwards.

The two BB units moved to stand on either side of Nova, who had also understood the whole conversation.

"Beebee-Six, I would have hoped you would know better than to sell Poe out to Beebee-Eight," she said, doing her best to keep a serious tone.

Both droids looked at each other, and if they could have laughed, they would have.

"It's okay. I deserved it," Poe said, looking over to the brunette with a small smile on his face.

Nova returned it before looking back down at the ground to hide the small blush that had crept onto her cheeks. It had been the first completely genuine interaction the pair had shared in a while, and it showed on both their faces.

Rose broke the moment as she glanced around at the faces of the Resistance. "Is this all that's left?"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"All right, shields are up so they can't hit us from orbit," Nova called to the room as the everyone got to work on booting up what equipment they'd been able to take with them that hadn't been lost on other shuttles. "Use whatever power we have to broadcast a distress signal to the Outer Rim."

"Use my personal code," Leia added from where she was sitting. "If there are any allies to the Resistance, it's now or never."

Nova nodded, turning back to Connix as she got to work on sending the call out to anyone who would listen.

"Rose. What d'you got?" Poe called to the mechanic as she entered with a couple of pilots.

"Rotted munitions, rusted-out artillery, some half-gutted ski speeders," Rose listed off somewhat bitterly. It was by no means going to be enough for anything.

"Well, let's just pray that big-ass door holds long enough for help to come," Poe sighed anxiously.

As if on cue, a loud boom shook the room, causing a thin sprinkling on red dust to fall from the ceiling. The first boom was closely followed by another. Whatever was going to happen next, it wasn't going to be good.


	40. Chapter 40

After ten or so minutes of fiddling about with the controls and settings, Nova had been able to get the exterior cams and their viewing apparatus up and running again. The quality was hardly what she had been used to for the past few years, and many of the cams were either completely dead or too damaged to be of any use. But, for the most part, they were functional enough to show her what she needed to see.

She squinted a she readjusted one of the cams, watching multiple First Order ships go to and fro, planting various walkers at a safe distance from the base. She could see a couple of AT-ATs, but they were overshadowed by the larger, much heavier AT-M6 walkers; standing twice as tall with thicker amour and more powerful guns. Nothing about them was friendly. Clearly designed for forced entry.

Nova wished she could say that was all. A dozen or so ships were descending in perfect formation. It puzzled her for a moment before she noticed what was currently holding all twelve ships together. They were lowering a large black cylinder onto the sodium flats.

"Finn, I need your expertise," the brunette called, beckoning Finn over to look.

Finn took over looking through the viewing apparatus, taking a few seconds to adjust it before grimly informing the group of what was laid out in front of them. "A battering-ram cannon."

"A what now?" Poe asked anxiously, hoping it wasn't half as bad as it already sounded.

"Miniaturised Death Star tech," Finn explained. "It'll crack that door open like an egg."

"There has to be a back way out of here, right?" Rose quickly asked, exchanging a worried look with Poe.

"Beebee-Eight, what've you got?" he asked.

The droid's response only caused Nova's hopes to drop even further.

"Beebee-Eight has analysed the live schematics," C-3PO filled in for any non-binary speakers in the room. "This is the only way in. Or out."

Another loud hit on the door shook the room again as the First Order continued to test and almost taunt them. Nova couldn't help but notice the obvious despair on everyone's faces. Even Poe's.

Finn too had noticed the bleak expressions of the freedom fighters. "Come on."

Poe turned to look at him, curious as to what he could say that would restore even a spark of anything positive to their situation.

"We have allies. People believe in Leia. They'll get our message; they'll come. But we have to buy time. We gotta take out that cannon."

Poe nodded, looking to Nova for reassurance. She let out a deep breath before also nodding, setting her face in a determined expression. Poe smiled; a little of the Nova he hadn't seen since before Starkiller was coming back.

"Rose, you reckon we'll be able to get some of those speeders working?" Nova asked the younger woman hopefully.

"We can try, but I don't think they'll be much use," Rose replied uneasily.

"We don't necessarily need fire power or speed. We just need manoeuvrability."

"I take it you've got a plan?" Poe asked.

"Well, I've got part of one. Hopefully I'll find the rest soon."

"That's good enough for me. Let's get moving."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rose hadn't been overexaggerating when she said the speeders were gutted. Nova wasn't even sure she'd seen that sort of ancient tech before and it still be functional. The guns were crippled so much they were virtually unusable and the engines were lined with rust and dust. After a few false starts and swear words, she'd been able to get a few of them working rather well, and had given instructions to Rose and the few remaining pilots to go around and do the same to the other speeders that weren't a complete loss. If they'd had more time, or even Charlie there, it would have been a much easier task.

Nova spotted Poe across the hanger. She knew she had to patch things up between them before the battle, knowing it could very well be their last. 

But it also couldn't. They could both survive and escape and live to fight on. Maybe even live past the war. She mentally slapped herself as she got ahead of herself. But she couldn't hide the smile in her mind that soon crept onto her face as she felt herself letting go. Her terrible past didn't mean a terrible future. And she didn't plan to let it.

She pulled her jacket down slightly to straighten it, nodding to herself before she confidently approached Poe. She noticed the intrigued expression on his face as he saw her coming, turning to lean against the speeder he had just finished rather haphazardly fixing. "Hey."

"Hey," Nova responded, suddenly at a complete loss for words. "Okay, I've got some things to say, and I'd like it if you didn't interrupt me while I say them."

Poe nodded, waiting for her to continue. He couldn't tell why he suddenly felt nervous, but he tried his best to ignore it and listen to his friend.

"You're right. I am always running from things. I'm never willing to take a chance because of all the ways I could get hurt again. I never considered that it's not always like that. There is a light in the darkness, even if it is small and not always visible." She paused, taking a step towards Poe before speaking again, quieter so that only he could hear. "So, I'm taking this chance. No matter where it leads us."

Poe hadn't noticed how close both of them were until Nova closed the tiny gap between them. It took him a couple of seconds to fully register what he had just heard and what Nova had just done, but when he did, he couldn't help but smile into the kiss. It was a short but sweet moment, where for once it felt like they were the only two people in the galaxy. He rested one hand on her waist and the other on her cheek delicately, afraid that everything would fade like a dream.

Both Poe and Nova were reluctant to pull away from each other, choosing to keep their foreheads pressed together after they had broken the kiss. They let their eyes stay closed, both still unsure if it was, in fact, reality.

"So, I guess this means..." Poe trailed off, still at a complete loss for words.

"Yeah," Nova finished for him, smiling brightly. Her smile grew when she spotted Finn out of the corner of her eye, doing his best to look casual by leaning on a speeder. Unfortunately, he'd missed the speeder and stumbled sideways, causing both Poe and Nova to chuckle good naturedly.

"Guys, we should probably... get going," Finn said awkwardly as the room shook again.

Poe gently ran his thumb along Nova's cheekbone, never breaking eye contact with her for a second. Nova leaned into his touch, knowing she had to move away at some point. When she did, she smiled at the fact that Poe very determinedly kept his arm around her waist as she moved to stand next to him.

"I hope you have more of a plan than you did earlier," he joked.

"Oh, I do. And it's your sort of a plan."


	41. Chapter 41

The remaining Resistance soldiers scurried out into the trench, shouting commands to each other and gripping their guns tighter. The smell of salt hit their lungs hard as they breathed heavily, whether from running, their new fears and anxieties or a combination.

General Ematt stepped up onto the flat, bringing his quadnoculars up to his eyes to observe the legion of First Order fighters slowly beginning to approach them. The groans of their machinery could be easily heard from where the men stood, guns ready for a fight.

Another soldier examined where the general had walked, noting the red footprints where the layer of white had once been. He reached out and touched it, drawing his fingers back to taste the substance.

"Salt," he said, spitting to try and get rid of the salty taste. One of the soldiers next to him glanced at him, his expression holding a mixture of confusion and amusement despite the circumstances.

"Ground forces incoming."

"Copy that! On our way!"

The speeders burst out through the doors, freefalling until they somewhat unceremoniously hit the sodium flats below. They ripped through the salt and soil, leaving a trail of red flying out behind them like a flag billowing in the wind.

Finn struggled to control his speeder, finding it hard to stop it from weaving across the ground.

"Hey, engage your mono-ski! The green toggle!" Rose called into the commlink.

Finn did as instructed, smiling when he was able to finally gain complete control of his speeder. He pushed it to its limits, moving to join the other twelve members of the Resistance as they headed straight for the First Order.

"All right, listen up. I don't like these rust buckets, and I don't like our odds –" Poe cut himself off as he managed to put his boot right through the bottom of his speeder. They were in worse condition than he'd initially thought. "What the hell."

"Trust you to put your foot through something, Dameron," Nova smirked as she drew up beside him.

Poe shot her a playful glare. "Just, keep it tight. And don't get drawn in too close until they roll that cannon out front."

Nova stared straight ahead, brushing her hand over the leather strap that rested around her neck. 'We're gonna make it. We're gonna make it. We're gonna make it.'

"All right, ground forces. Lay down some fire!" Poe ordered.

The artillery cannons in front of the base started to shoot, the blasts flying past the squadron of speeders to hit the ground or the legs of the AT-M6 walkers. No damage was done; it was almost pitiful how little the Resistance could do to try and hold the First Order at bay for even a few seconds at a time.

Nova's blood ran cold as she heard the all too familiar screech of TIE fighters above their heads. "Kriff! Fighters, break off!"

The speeders scattered, swinging off in various directions. Red dirt flew into the air as the ground was bombarded with TIE fighter fire, taking one speeder out instantly. Nova gasped as she nearly crashed into the wreckage, swerving last minute to avoid it. She thought about pulling her blaster, but there was no way she would be able to do any damage let alone be able to get a clear shot. 'X-Wings would a god-send right now,' she thought. She missed being able to shoot down enemy fighters with ease; but wishful thinking would get them nowhere.

"We've got to hold them until they pull up that cannon!" Poe yelled.

"There's no way we can match their firepower!" Nova yelled, gritting her teeth as her speeder fell slightly off balance and dragged along the ground causing the metal to groan and squeak painfully.

The TIEs had easily made it back to where the trenches were, taking out the cannons instantly. They weaved about above them, following behind the speeders and relentlessly fired, narrowly missing on many occasions.

"Rose, you've got three right behind you!" Nova warned the younger woman.

Rose glanced back at the captain's words, spotting how close the ships were. She sped forward, dancing in and out of where the soil had been kicked up by laser fire and the speeders' mono-skis. "I can't lose them!"

Out of nowhere, the three ships were brought crashing out of the air, already decimated before they could hit the ground. Nova turned as she heard the familiar engines, letting out a cheer as the shadow of her father's ship passed over her.

"Woo! Yeah!" Finn cheered through the commlink.

The fighters started to break away, but they didn't stand to last long against the Millennium Falcon. Each ship was quickly gunned down, rolling and burning across the salty plains in a mess of debris. It was a miracle that none of the speeders got taken out in the process and that the various people piloting them had quick enough reflexes.

Suddenly, the Falcon shot off from the battle, closely followed by the remaining TIE fighters. Nova breathed a sigh of relief as the bombardment of laser rain ceased.

"She drew 'em off! All of 'em!" Poe yelled triumphantly.

"Oh, they hate that ship!" Finn added.

Nova smiled widely, remembering all the stories her parents would tell of them evading TIE fighters and the Empire in that hunk of junk. If any ship could represent her family, the Millennium Falcon would fit the bill perfectly. A mess, but dependable (excluding her brother, of course).

Soon enough, the remaining speeders had drawn close enough to the First Order lines to get a clear view of things. The walkers towered above everything; the only thing higher than them being a lone command ship. Nova could tell Kylo Ren was on board, even if she couldn't sense him. It confused her a little at first, how she could sometimes sense him and other times not, but the shower of lasers coming from the walkers kept her too occupied to think any further on the matter.

"There it is!" Rose yelled over the comms, drawing everyone's attention to the siege cannon. "That is a big gun..."

"Our only shot is right down the throat," Finn said.

The cannon had opened, allowing a view of the core inside. It glowed with a bright orange light, and even from the distance she was at, Nova could almost feel the heat coming off of it. Smoke began to rise and the salt surrounding it started to melt, running like magma.

The Resistance continued to approach, trying their best to remain undeterred as the AT-M6s turned all their firepower from the trenches to the speeders. But it was clearly a losing battle. One by one, each speeder was mercilessly gunned down, exploding in a ball of fire and debris and kicking up white and red until only six or so remained intact.

Poe glanced to either side of him as they tried to close ranks, but it was too late now. They'd failed, and there was no way they could do anything to come back from it.

"They're picking us all off. We're not gonna make it," he muttered to himself. "Pull off!"

"What?" Finn yelled in disbelief.

"The cannon's charged. It's a suicide run! All craft, pull away!"

"No, I'm almost there!"

"Retreat, Finn! That's an order!" Poe yelled, swinging his speeder around to head back towards the base. Nova and the other remaining speeders followed suit. All except one.

"Finn, it's too late. Don't do this!" Rose protested.

"NO! I won't let them win!"

"No, Finn. Listen to Poe, we have to –"

Nova chewed the inside of her cheek as she heard Finn's comm go offline. She hated being unable to do anything, but any attempt would be futile. She looked over to the speeder next to her, noting the conflict in Rose's demeanour. From experience, she could tell when someone was about to make a rash or heavily emotionally influenced decision, and not the good kind.

"Rose, what the hell do you –"

The crackle of Rose's disconnected commlink cut her off. It took all her energy to not turn her speeder around and go after them, but like Poe had said; it was a suicide run. Angrily, she kicked her speeder, unsurprised when the panels easily flew loose.

"I have no intention to die today," she hissed to herself.

The cannon had already begun to melt the door by the time they made it back to base. The heat and wind coming off of it hit the soldiers and pilots hard in the face, leaving many of them rather disorientated.

Poe had all but crashed his speeder a metre or so away from the trench, and Nova wasted no time in following. He had already cleared the wreckage when she reached it, allowing her to safely ram her speeder into the debris. She threw herself from it as it went up in smoke, landing easily on the soil and taking off in the direction her boyfriend had just gone.

Poe slid the last half metre or so, landing in the trench with ease. He looked up just in time to see Nova copy his action, catching her as she stumbled over. She hadn't fully anticipated how fast she was going.

"You all right?" he asked, keeping his hands on her waist as he checked her over. Other than a few spots of dirt and a small cut on her lip, nothing was out of the ordinary.

"I'm fine," Nova said, also checking him over. No new injuries.

Both pilots simultaneously turned to move the remaining soldiers back into the main body of the base, stopping only to look back at the First Order's line away in the distance.

Nova struggled to keep herself composed as she thought of Finn and Rose. It would be a sheer miracle if they were both still alive, but that close to heavily weaponised and armoured First Order walkers? The odds were incredibly small.

'Never tell me the odds!' Nova thought back to what her father would always say, smiling sadly at the memory. But her moment of solace was cut short as the siege cannon fired its one deadly shot, breaking a hole square in the middle of the shield door.

It wouldn't be long till they were either captured or killed. She couldn't believe it. They'd utterly lost.


	42. Chapter 42

"Our distress signal's been received at multiple points, but no response," Connix said, blankly staring at the screen in front of her.

"They've heard us, but no one's coming," D'Acy said.

Everyone in the room turned to look at Leia, wishing for some form of hope or comfort.

"We fought 'til the end," she said, sinking down onto the crates stacked around the room. Nova had been standing quietly in the doorway, but quickly moved to stand beside her mother desperately. "but the galaxy has lost all it's hope. The spark is out."

Nova hung her head, running a hand across her face and through her hair. It could be felt throughout the entire base that everyone had lost what little fight they had left in them; the quiet carried it like sand in a storm on Tatooine.

Leia looked up as she sensed a foreign presence in the room. Someone she had not seen and had not expected to see for a long, long time. Nova followed her mother's gaze, breath catching in her throat as her eyes fell upon her uncle. He lowered his hood when he was in front of them, and Nova noted how he hadn't seemed to have aged at all. Unusual, but who's to know what had happened to him for all those years, or what the force was capable of when wielded by someone as strong as him.

"Luke."

The Jedi sat down across from his sister, going to speak before she cut him off.

"I know what you're going to say. I changed my hair."

Luke chuckled lightly. "It's nice that way."

Leia smiled.

"Leia, I'm sorry."

"I know. I know you are. I'm just glad you're here. At the end."

"I came to face him, Leia," Luke gravely told her. "I can't save him."

"I held out hope for so long, but I know my son is gone."

Nova gently took her mother's hand, giving it a squeeze. Ben had always been the closest to Leia out of the rest of the family members, so no one was surprised when she took everything the hardest. Their bond had and still seemed to be unbreakable.

"No one's ever really gone," Luke said. He slowly held his hand out, placing it on top of Leia's.

She frowned as she felt him place something in it, giving him a questioning look before opening her hand to see what rested there.

Nova bit back her tears as she recognised the pair of golden dice that had always hung in the cockpit of the Falcon since before her parents had even met. Another painful reminder of when the galaxy still had hope.

Luke rose from his seat, leaning forward to gently plant a kiss on Leia's forehead. The whole moment seemed so final and sombre. Nova shut her eyes as she felt a lone tear slip down her cheek.

"Nova."

The brunette opened her brown eyes to look into the blue ones of Luke.

"You're probably tired of hearing this, but you do look so much like your mother."

Nova smiled, looking down at her boots. "It's not the worst thing in the galaxy to constantly hear."

Luke sighed. "I'm sorry, for everything. I shouldn't have pushed you. I see now it was never your calling."

"Yeah. I'm no Jedi."

They both smiled at that.

"I never really wanted to be a 'Skywalker'. What that meant."

Luke nodded. "That's not who you are. You're the best parts of a Solo and an Organa. A mix for trouble if ever I saw one. And look what you've done with it."

The pride in his voice was obvious, and Nova didn't try to hide the smile that brought out of her.

"I didn't do well for a long time. But then I met the right people. Started going straight. Followed my parents' footsteps into battle. And it seems that history is repeating itself in a few ways," she said, glancing down at her mother. Leia smirked, exchanging a look with Luke before looking away again.

"You did what you were always destined to do." Luke said. He gently pulled his niece into a hug, which Nova gladly accepted. They broke away after a few seconds, both knowing exactly what was going on.

It was a goodbye.

A final goodbye.

"Thank you."

Luke nodded, turning to slowly walk out of the room.

Nova briefly looked to Leia, giving her a small nod before also exiting the room. She made her way over to where Poe and the other soldiers were still taking refuge behind some old machinery, but had since stood to gaze upon the living legend before them.

Poe reached out for Nova's hand as she reached him. He pulled her to him, looking at her worriedly. He noted the stray tear marks on her face, moving to rest his hand on her cheek.

Both glanced up as they felt someone watching them. Luke looked between the pair, fully seeing what Nova had meant by history repeating itself. He smirked slightly, nodding and giving Nova a wink before continuing to walk towards the large opening in the shield door.

Poe looked to Nova questioningly, a little unnerved by what had just happened. Nova too was surprised, but masked it behind a smile; a strange mix between happiness and sadness. She found it amusing that both her father and uncle had been so quick to approve without actually saying a word to the man in question, and from experience she didn't remember either of them being spot-on judges of character. Perhaps it was something else. She turned to Poe, planting a light kiss on his lips to reassure him. They pulled away from each other, exchanging a smile before going back to watching the new events unfold; with Poe keeping one arm wrapped around Nova in comfort.

The first shot shook everyone to their core. Nova very visibly flinched, felling the ground shake from the sheer force of the blasts. After the first initial blow, the First Order held nothing back. Every walker they had fired upon one single spot, sending red soil and flames flying sky high.

Poe and Nova took off running back to the control room, closely followed by the few remaining soldiers. They all rallied behind Leia, sharing confused and worried looks as to what was happening.

All fire soon cut off, leaving a cloud of red to disperse. There was no white to be seen surrounding the spot that all the lasers had been focused on, and a good few layers of red had been stripped away. Instead of a light scarlet colour it was dark crimson and almost black in some places; like a giant smear of blood across the planet's surface.

As the dust cleared, Luke walked out of it, completely untouched by the onslaught. Nova frowned. She had no idea how that was even possible, but was distracted from questioning it further. Poe tapped her on the arm, gesturing for her to follow him back out of the control room. Nova complied, jogging after him to stand a safe distance away from the door for a better look.

Finn's yelling soon fully caught her attention as she sped up into a sprint, almost tripping over Rose's unconscious body. Poe almost did the same, but was able to catch and brace himself on Finn and Nova's shoulders.

Nova beckoned for the medics, who quickly set to work on checking Rose's vitals.

"What happened?" she heard Poe ask his friend, who seemed very shell shocked and slightly out of sync with reality.

"I – I don't know," Finn admitted. Nova was hardly surprised; he had just dragged Rose across a battlefield that was by no means small.

The trio was soon distracted again at the sound of an engine and metal creaking; the unmistakable sounds of a ship's engines preparing or in the process of landing.

Poe quickly retrieved his quadnocs, squinting through them in an attempt to understand the scene that was unfolding in front of him. He watched as the command shuttle descended, dropping it's ramp down to reveal Kylo Ren. His blood ran cold as he remembered the last time he'd seen that man, and it ran even colder as he thought about everything Nova had had to endure from him. "It's Kylo Ren. Luke's facing him alone."

"We should help him, let's go!" Finn said, moving to walk out before Poe blocked him with his arm.

"No, wait. Wait." He raised his quadnocs again, surveying the scene carefully.

"He's doing this for a reason," Nova said firmly. "He has to be, there's no other reason why."

"He's doing this so we can escape," Poe agreed, coming to the realisation as the words left his mouth.

"Escape?" Finn said in disbelief. "He's one man against an army. We have to help him. We have to fight –"

"No, no. We are the spark that will light the fire that will burn the First Order down. Skywalker's doing this so we can survive."

Nova smiled proudly, noting the way he had shifted Holdo's words to great effect. The old Poe, the smart and somewhat sensible Poe, was back.

"There has to be a back way out of this mine. Hell, how'd he get in here?"

"Sir," C-3PO piped up, causing Poe to flash Nova and already irritated look which she promptly returned. "It is possible that a natural, unmapped opening exists. But this facility is such an endless maze of tunnels that the odds of finding an exit are fifteen-thousand four-hundred-and-twenty-eight–"

Nova had to restrain herself from powering him down – Leia had told her where his off switch was many times.

"Hush. Shush up. Shut up!" Poe demanded, holding up a finger at the droid as he listened.

"To one," the droid finished, causing Nova to clamp her hand over his mouth while she watched Poe intently.

"Listen."

Nova listened, not noticing anything different for a minute or so. She glanced around to see that a few other officers were on the same page as her, while others were ahead.

"Oh, my audio sensors no longer detect –" 3PO said; Nova had dropped her hand from his mouth without even realising.

"Exactly," Poe said.

"Where'd the crystal critters go?" Finn asked.

It was then that Nova realised what was different. The vulptices hadn't strayed too far from the Resistance since they arrived, having gotten over their jumpiness quickly. They had taken to sniffing at them curiously, watching their every move.

Nova narrowed her eyes, spotting a lone crystal fox a little way away from them. It looked at the group for a second before turning and running, small clinks and jingles following as the minerals on it's coat gently hit each other like a windchime.

"Follow me," Poe said, turning to look at the remaining members all crowded around.

In sync, everyone turned to look at Leia expectantly, including Nova. She still wasn't entirely sure where Poe and her mother stood after the whole demotion incident, and wasn't sure how willing Leia would be to listen to him again. However, she smiled when Leia turned to look behind herself in confusion.

"What are you looking at me for? Follow him."

Poe smiled, heading off in the direction the vulptex had just headed, while Nova stayed at the back of the group to ensure everyone was with them and that they kept moving. She paused for a few seconds, looking out through the hole in the shield door before turning her back and walking away. There was nothing she could do, but maybe that was a good thing.

'Always moving forward,' she thought.


	43. Chapter 43

Nova had somehow managed to zone out as she walked, staring straight ahead without saying a word. A few officers and soldiers exchanged looks of concern, as it looked like she had stopped breathing more than once. That of course was not the case. Nova couldn't pin-point why she was suddenly so 'out of it' as Charlie used to say, but she did her best to push it aside and keep moving. Her dazed state did not go unnoticed by Leia, who gently took her daughter's hand in her own as they walked.

Her glassed over eyes snapped back to reality as if they'd been shattered by the shouts coming from the front of the group. It didn't take her long to figure out that it was Poe which caused her to unconsciously tense up as she and her mother moved through the small crowd to the front of the group.

The end of the cave was heavily blocked with boulders and stones, positioned in such a way that if any one of them was to be moved it would send every other stone tumbling down dangerously. They could attempt to move them, but it would take too long to figure out which were safe and by that time the First Order would be upon them if and when they got past Luke.

Poe turned to look at her, but Nova shook her head before he could open his mouth to speak. She knew what he was going to ask. "Not unless you want to carry my unconscious or possibly dead body out of here."

Poe's demeanour noticeably changed at her words. She hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but her point still stood. She gave him an apologetic look, which he accepted by pulling her into him, kissing her temple. Even if it meant they had a chance at escape, he wasn't going to risk it. Nothing was worth losing her.

'Not even the entire galaxy,' he thought.

Every pair of eyes was suddenly drawn back to the pile of rocks as it started to move. Gradually, at first one by one but soon several at a time; they moved backwards and upwards, bit by bit revealing the bright and cold light of the outside world.

Nova smiled as her eyes fell upon Rey; eyes closed and hand outstretched as she focused on holding everything together. Her expression was serene and a small smile rested on her lips. It only grew as she opened her brown eyes to see her friends, letting the rocks drop and smash onto the ground around her.

Finn sprinted past her and straight to Rey, enveloping her in a hug as soon as he reached her. Nova would have joined, but felt it better to let Finn see his friend without a third party. After all, last time they'd seen each other, at least one of them had been unconscious.

She took a moment to observe Rey as she helped usher the rest of the Resistance out of the cave and into the open. She seemed older, in a way. She no longer held the same innocent, child like wonder in her eyes; at least not as much anymore. Something sadder now rested there. Perhaps something darker. Whatever had happened to her had left a lasting effect, but the old Rey was by no means gone.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took longer than Nova would have liked to get everyone loaded up onto the Falcon, but it could hardly be helped. They had to very carefully climb up a rather jagged ridge which more than a few people slipped on. Nova was certain she would have fallen and at least broken something if Poe hadn't been underneath her to keep her supported; though she did have to pause a few times to compose herself as she blushed from feeling his hand on her hip. It also took a great deal of time to safely move an unconscious Rose, who had been given multiple sedatives and various other medicines they had on hand for her own safety. No one had been able to get out of Finn quite what happened, but whatever it was it had been far from good. On top of that, hauling a protocol droid and two astromechs up a mountain was something Nova never wanted to do again.

Weary, she all but collapsed as she got to the top of the ramp. She stayed there, leaning against the wall for support as everyone passed her by, equally as worn out and drained.

Rey and Leia were the last to board, both wearing grave and mournful expressions. Nova decided not to question it; there would be another time. She stayed stood next to Rey as her hand hovered over the button to lift the ramp, staring down it at something Nova couldn't see. Conflict was evident in not just the younger woman's eyes, but also her heart. Nova had seen that conflict before in herself.

"You okay?" she asked Rey carefully. Her voice seemed heavy in the atmosphere.

"Yeah," Rey said, keeping her gaze fixed ahead as she pushed the button; steam coming off the ramp and the hydraulics squeaking and groaning as the ramp rose and clicked into place.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova carefully moved past people, doing her best to go unnoticed. She didn't want to be the cause of everyone going quiet and ceasing their celebrations. They deserved their moments of happiness and rest. She took her jacket off as she made it to where Finn was stood beside Rose, carefully laying it over the sleeping girl while Finn searched through a drawer for some blankets.

Eventually, she found herself beside Rey again, who was crouched down talking to BB-8 and BB-6. The latter of the two droids perked up at the appearance of his owner, rolling to sit beside Nova's ankles.

"I take it he's yours?" Rey giggled.

Nova nodded, smiling sadly at the memory of the mechanic who had crafted him for her. "Yep. Quite the personality as well," she said.

Rey stood up as she noticed someone approaching them. Nova tensed a little out of instinct, but instantly relaxed as she saw that it was Poe.

"Hi."

"Hey," Rey greeted him in return.

"I'm Poe."

"Rey."

"I know," Poe said warmly. "I've heard a bit about you. You uh – you did kinda save my girlfriend's life a few times after all."

Nova blushed and avoided making eye contact with Rey. She could tell the younger woman was smirking at her; mixed together with the sensation of Poe officially saying that she was his girlfriend overwhelmed her slightly. She also knew that Poe was smirking at how shy she had suddenly become.

Poe's attention was diverted away from the pair by another pilot, giving Nova the time to let out a small breath. Before she could move away however, Rey gently caught her arm.

"So, you two finally figured things out, huh?" she questioned.

"It took a bit of yelling and some other things, but yes. We figured it out," Nova agreed.

"Good," Rey smiled. "You two seem to be made for each other."

"Yeah, so everyone keeps saying."

"Well, they're right."

"Yeah."

The two women exchanged another smile before moving to go their separate ways. Rey headed off to sit down quietly; soon to be joined by General Leia, while Nova once again took to the shadows. She needed some alone time, and there was one place on the Falcon she knew she could find some peace.

There were a few small sections branching off from the main communal area of the Millennium Falcon; initially designed for one purpose but changed over time. Some rooms had been stripped right to the bone to give more space for holding smuggling goods, or had been pillaged by the various owners over the years. But there were a few, such as the sleeping quarters, that lay relativity untouched - nothing needed improvement in those regards.

Nova crept in, looking around with a soft smile.

She kicked the floor in a few places, waiting for one particular noise. She smiled when she heard it, leaning down to carefully pull the floor panel up to retrieve the box. No one would have known it was there unless they were looking for it, which was why it had gone undisturbed. Opening it, Nova slowly sunk into a kneeling position as she searched through it for nothing in particular.

Childhood keepsakes. Random small toys, drawings, a tiny spare part a child might find interesting at the time. Nova smiled to herself as she continued to clear the items to the side. The box was shallow, so it didn't take long for her to find the datapad. She pulled it out, placing it in her lap while she moved the box out of the way. She didn't expect it to still work; the technology was outdated by at least a decade.

It sparked to life; images of a childhood long since lost dancing and flickering in an all too appropriate cold blue. It was a small mercy that the volume controls were past any use at all, leaving the room silent as the holovid played. Filmed by the mother as the father held his excited daughter in his lap, pointing out the different controls of the cockpit to her and her older brother. Both children shared the same interested and gleeful expressions, turning to ask the occasional question or ecstatically recite what had just been said to the mother who had surely heard it, but humoured them to keep their spirits high.

The picture slowly became more distorted and finally flickered out like a flame caught in the wind. With a sigh, Nova placed the datapad back into the box to return it to its hiding place. She readjusted her seated position, moving to sit cross-legged and rest her head in her hand, letting her elbow dig into her thigh slightly.

She looked up as she felt a jacket being draped over her shoulders, unsurprised when she saw that it was Poe. Chewing the inside of her cheek, she sighed before remembering something else she'd been meaning to tell him.

"That voice. The one I heard in my nightmare the last night we spent on base. It was Snoke. Pulling me to the dark and then... he showed me things..."

"What?" Poe gently asked.

"Elara and Fenna. They seemed so real, but... something was off. And then I also saw that monster who is somehow my brother... but that wasn't like when I saw –" she cut herself off, finding it impossible to continue.

"Why am I wearing this?" she asked more light-heartedly, trying to change the subject.

"I don't know if you noticed, but it is kind of cold in here," Poe said, choosing to sit and lean on the wall to Nova's left; she was sat in the middle of the room.

Nova slipped her arms into the sleeves of his jacket, taking comfort in the extra room compared to her own that she had lent to Rose.

"Then why are you giving me your jacket?" she joked.

"Because it looks better on you," Poe smirked. Nova blushed slightly as she noticed him slightly biting his bottom lip. It was then that she also noticed he looked slightly shaken up. Poe Dameron never looked shaken up.

"What happened?" she asked, giving him a knowing look that warned him not to lie. She knew something was up.

He seemed very sheepish. "I uh – yeah. I may have just been slightly threatened by your mother." 

"Oh?" The brunette shuffled her way over to sit beside him. "I wish I'd seen that."

"All right, all right. Get your laughs out now," Poe sighed, resting his head on her shoulder. "But, of all the ways I hoped and dreaded that conversation going, it wasn't the worst."

"You thought about that?" Nova asked, before her brain could catch up with her mouth. "Of course, you have..."

"How could the woman I love not be on my mind?" Poe said rhetorically.

Nova turned to look at him, causing Poe to lean back off her shoulder. "Yes, I just said that."

Nova smiled, taking the chance to lean against him; kissing his cheek before resting her head back on his chest. Poe contentedly wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her as close as possible.

"I love you, Nova."

"I know."


	44. Chapter 44

31 ABY

Hosnian Prime.

Voted capital of the new and shiny Galactic Republic, it was quite easily one of the busiest and bustling Core Worlds; possibly rivalling Coruscant in the days before the tyrannical Empire. Which, of course, made it the perfect place to pick up dirty but high paying jobs. If you knew where to look.

Blitz knew exactly where to look. With the split between the two major factions in the Senate growing larger each and every day, politicians always needed something covered up or 'taken care of'; a family secret, love affair scandal or any other nefarious activities that if revealed could bring an entire career falling out of the sky faster than a crashing X-Wing. And, what with these people holding such high positions, money was no matter. The only thing that did matter was reputation.

Once again, he had asked for him and only him. Blitz was not in the business of asking the 'why', only the 'who' and 'how much'; a fact that sat very well with all their clients.

Not a moment later, a single shot was released from the rifle. Blazing, blue and hot, it flew through the air until it came to find its final resting place in the target's broad chest. Immediately, he crumpled to the ground and was swarmed by bystanders, though it was too late for anyone to save him. It had been too late the second the bolt had left the gun.

Blitz made a calm retreat, slinging their rifle over their shoulder and swinging themselves down until they hit the empty street below. They carefully but confidently made their way down the street and around the corner until they reached their ship – an old Rebel Alliance Y-Wing they'd been able to retrieve from a scrap yard on Batuu.

They climbed into the cockpit and removed their helmet, revealing a face covered mostly but by black cloth. The only parts visible were the eyes and the hair, though they did little to give away gender. The hair was a warm brown, cut short so that it didn't even fall over the ears. The eyes too were brown, resting in what was assumed to be a fair skinned face. They darted here and there, making sure they were alone. The bounty hunter raised the small communicator up to speak into it.

"It's done."

They waited for the person on the other end to respond, drumming their gloved fingers against the control panel in an irregular and anxious rhythm. Fortunately, the response came soon enough.

"Good. I'll send your payment to you right away."

"You know where to find me."

The comm link clicked off, and Blitz leaned back in the cockpit with a sigh.

Another day, another life taken. It wasn't the ideal way to make a living, but it meant they could keep their real life and identity hidden, while also making a more than substantial amount to survive alone.

Alone was better. Always better.

Blitz only had one rule when accepting jobs: never takes jobs from the First Order. They had approached them many times once they gained the reputation as the best and most deadly in many parts of the galaxy, but had been turned down each time by a blast to the chest.

Blitz by no means agreed with anything the First Order said or stood for. Even though they operated in a grey area, it was closer to the light than to the dark.

Placing their helmet back over their head, they awaited the arrival of the messenger. Blitz never addressed a client face to face. They liked the air of mystery and intimidation it gave people.

After five minutes of waiting, Senator Xiono's representative rounded the corner.

Blitz met her half way, wordlessly extending their hand.

The woman understood, dropping the credits into the outstretched hand. "The Senator sends his thanks."

Blitz closed their hand around the money. "You know how to contact me."

And with that, the parties parted ways as quickly as they had crossed.

The bounty hunter pocketed the credits and sauntered off to the nearest bar – another way they dealt with the moral ambiguity of their violent actions.

Night was dropping as they made their way through the darker and more crowded streets. They kept their head down, bashing shoulders with the occasional passer-by, but never looking back to apologise despite the mutters or in some cases yells. It wasn't like they'd see each other again. Hosnian Prime was a large and busy planet in an even larger and busier galaxy.

It was during that walk that they realised they were being followed. By several people. The bounty hunter froze for a second, considering all the options laid out in front of them. After a moment or two, they continued walking, turning off into the next side alley they came across.

'A dead end. Brilliant!' they thought bitterly.

There was no turning back.

Their pursuers soon caught up to them, standing across the narrow alley to block the only exit. They were numbered only three, but they were well armed.

"So, this is the infamous Blitz," the one in the middle spoke, his voice dripping in poison.

"The one and only," Blitz replied, covering nerves with equal venom. "And if you know who I am, you should probably reevaluate your current position."

"Oh, no," the one to the left chuckled, "we don't just know who you are. We know who you are."

Blitz froze up, their already pale face becoming paler beneath the mask. Brown eyes wide and heartbeat inhumanly fast. They willed their body to react and fight back as the one on the left stepped forward and removed their helmet and unwrapped their face from the black cloth.

"Nova Solo."

She felt exposed. No, she was exposed.

And she snapped.

She sent a firm punch to the jaw and a kick to the knee of the man standing closest to her. He stumbled back while the other two grabbed their blasters and prepared to fire.

But Nova was faster. Years of Jedi training and making it on her own in the Outer Rim had taught her more than enough combat skills.

She grabbed the man she had already beaten and used his body as a shield, letting his teammates paint his body with blaster fire. Doing so brought her time to pull her own blaster, mentally counting down until her next move.

'3.'

'2.'

'1.'

She threw the body at the remaining two men, causing one to stumble and another to fall. Neither would stand again, as before they could recover, two shots were fired. And both found their mark in their chests.

Nova's breathing was heavy as she placed her blaster back in its holster and picked up the cloth, wrapping it around her face once more. She turned her helmet over in her hands, examining the face before setting it back on her head.

'This is who I am. I can never go back,' she told herself.

'Nova Solo is dead.'

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the rooftop above the alley, a Resistance pilot watched the bounty hunter replace her helmet and walk away, more than a little shaken and understandably so.

The pilot let out a sigh, retrieving his comm link from his pocket and clicking it on.

"General. I've found her."


	45. Chapter 45

32 ABY

Blitz stood leaning against a wall, turning her blaster over in her hands, occasionally glancing up with a venomous expression on her face; though no one could see it from under her mask. An unknown had reached out to employ her, so she was waiting for whoever the unknown had sent to talk with her about the details of the job.

Standard procedure.

Letting out a heavy sigh she adjusted her position to a more comfortable one, continuing to survey the passers-by. Many gave her nervous looks, while others elected to give her as wide a birth as they could.

After five more minutes of waiting, she spotted who she assumed to be the person she would be meeting with. As he approached her, she took in his appearance curiously.

From a glance it was apparent that he was a few years older than her. He was taller than her, though not by much. His skin was a naturally tanned colour, which was complimented well by his dark brown eyes and hair. She would not deny that he was attractive; in an obvious way that is.

But what really intrigued her were his clothes. They did not fit in with the pristine and rich clothes most people who inhabited the core worlds wore. They were scruffy, in a good way, and in a selection of neutral colours.

He certainly wasn't local.

Blitz tensed as he drew nearer, suddenly feeling extremely on edge about the whole ordeal. Her hold on her blaster tightened considerably, so much so that she was sure her knuckles were turning white beneath her gloves.

'Let's get this over with.'

"So, you're the one people like to call 'Blitz'." His voice was warm and casual, but a hint of ice and slight accusation lingered underneath.

"I also like to call myself that," she shot back, leaning into the wall beside her. Her eyes were burning with a cold flame but could not be seen from beneath her helmet.

"Master bounty hunter and assassin, picking up dirty jobs for politicians. That's quite a way to make a living."

She remained silent; fingers itching towards the blaster she had unwisely returned to its holster.

"But I'm guessing it wasn't entirely by choice. Was it, Nova?"

Her body involuntarily froze, and her teeth ground against each other unpleasantly. Her voice was cold and snappy to hide the slight but still very present tremble. "What do you want?"

"To help. I'm with the Resistance."

She paused for a second before biting back with another sarcastic comment. "Am I meant to be impressed?"

"Kinda."

"Well, like you said. I'm the deadliest bounty hunter and assassin in the parsec. It takes a lot to impress me."

She turned to walk away, but the man was faster. He caught her arm and held her in place, not bothering to wait for her to turn around before he spoke.

"You are going to come with me."

"Oh? And why is that?" She turned to face him, hip jutted out to the side and arms folded. "Dark eyes and a pilots jacket might work on some girls but I'm not going anywhere with you."

Once again, she turned to walk away.

"Care to reconsider?"

She frowned as she heard the faint but distinct sound of a blaster being pulled and readied to fire. Strange, she could have sworn he was unarmed. After years of experience and paranoia she had mastered the ability to quickly scan over an individual for weapons. Evidentially she was slipping.

She wheeled back around to see that she was indeed being held at gunpoint. The man seemed very calm and a cocky smirk rested on his lips.

"Impressed now?" He nodded towards her hip.

Blitz frowned, glancing down to her now empty holster. She scowled beneath her helmet, though she was certainly impressed.

"If you think you know my name, I'm assuming you know who I am," she said.

He nodded, keeping the blaster aimed towards her chest.

"Then you know what else I'm capable of."

He nodded again. "I don't think you're going to, though."

"You don't know that."

"If you were going to, you would have already."

He was right.

Blitz sighed defeatedly, scrunching her face up in a displeased manner. He was certainly persistent. "Fine. One condition. You tell me your name."

He raised an eyebrow at her sceptically.

"You know mine. I think this should be a two-way thing."

"Fair enough. I'm Poe. Poe Dameron."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Resistance pilot and the bounty hunter walked in silence through the vast city, keeping their heads down and avoiding eye contact with anyone who tried. The former was still holding the latter at gunpoint with her own gun; a choice that she understood and to some extent endorsed.

She didn't know where they were going as she let Poe guide her by a pull or nudge of her arm at intervals. Nor did she particularly care.

'Live free. Don't join. Don't get attached. All it leads to is trouble and pain.'

A seven-minute walk and a tense silence later they reached their destination: a rundown and supposedly repurposed B-Wing. Its paintwork had seen much better days, and so had its entire exterior. Only a guess could be made as to what state the engine and interior technology was in.

The doors opened and the duo stepped on board.

Blitz had in no way been prepared for what she was met with.

Leia stood from her seat, silently looking over the bounty hunter that stood before her. Her face remained blank as she took in her battered and beaten appearance; armour littered with scratches and burns from various precarious situations Blitz had gotten herself into over her four years of activity.

"Take off that mask." Leia's voice was barely above a whisper. "Let me see my daughter."

She shut her eyes for a moment, feeling a tear run down her cheek and get caught on the cloth that covered the bottom half of her fair face. With trembling breath and hands, she peeled the helmet from her head. The cloth followed soon after, leaving her face fully exposed.

The helmet fell to the floor with a clatter.

Smudges of oil and dirt, a few small cuts and a bruise on her right cheek made her look older than her years. Her hair was just starting to reach her earlobes and her eyes were tinted red from tears.

Nova could barely bring herself to look her mother in the eyes. "Mom..."

The older woman stepped towards her, looking at her daughter with sad eyes. She could only imagine what had happened to her in those four terrible years. The temple. Her brother. Her friends. All gone or turned against her, driving her to a life of hiding and killing.

"What happened?"

Nova let the first tears fall silently. "I had to run. I had to create all this," she gestured at her outfit, "to survive. I've –"

She collapsed to the floor, the weight of every single assignment, every single blaster shot and innocent life ended catching up to and hitting her like a tonne of bricks.

Leia sunk to her knees, pulling Nova into a motherly embrace. She stroked what remained of her hair as her jacket soaked up her daughter's tears. Sobs wracked Nova's body as she clung to her desperately.

"Come home."

"I can't." Nova's voice was rough and strained. "I'm a monster."

"No," Leia said firmly. "You're my daughter. Now, what you've done these past few years doesn't define you. But there's something else that can."

Nova looked up, feeling like a lost child. "Joining the Resistance?"

Leia nodded. "The galaxy needs you, Nova."

"I – I don't know."

"You can reinvent yourself again."

Nova had forgotten that Poe was still with them; standing off to the side to give the family as much space as he could.

"No one has to know what you've done," he continued. "And from what I've heard, you're a fair pilot."

"Better than fair," Nova shot back with a watery smirk.

"I'll have to see you in action before I describe you as anything other than fair."

Leia looked between the two, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Nova stood, drying her eyes with her still gloved hands before helping Leia up. She knew what the right choice was for her. It felt like one of her more pleasant dreams – the ones that didn't wake her up with a cold sweat and screams.

"I'm in."

Leia smiled proudly. "Welcome to the Resistance, Lieutenant Solo."

"Organa." Nova's voice held a new determination. "My name is Nova Organa."


	46. Chapter 46

34 ABY

"You should be asleep," Poe said softly, leaning against the door.

Nova didn't turn around, keeping her eyes fixed unseeingly on the vast emptiness of hyperspace. "So should you."

Poe smiled to himself and moved to take the seat beside her. He took in her appearance; the slight shadows under her eyes, her unbrushed hair and her crumpled shirt were all commonplace. But contrast to that was her demeanour – calm and content. It felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest to see her like that.

Nova turned her chair to better face her boyfriend. Blue light danced over both their faces and reflected in their brown eyes. "Why are you up?"

"Because you are. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"

"No. I just couldn't sleep. I had some stuff on my mind," she said, her voice sounding a little distant.

"Like what?" Poe reached out to take her hand, gently tugging her to move.

Nova didn't resist, her lack of sleep beginning to catch up with her. She allowed her body to be guided into Poe's lap and her head to fall to rest on his shoulder. A small smile found its way to her lips as she felt his strong arms wrap around her waist. "Nothing specific. And nothing that needs to be worried about."

"I'm sorry, I can't help it," he whined jokingly. "Force of habit."

"And you know that I hate it."

"Well, you're going to have to properly accept it. Now that you're my girlfriend I'm not going to be as subtle."

"Subtle? You?" Nova giggled, leaning back to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, shut up," the brunette sighed. "I can be subtle."

The couple soon lapsed into a comfortable silence; just enjoying each other's company. No words were needed and would have ruined their rare moment of peace. All that was needed was the soft sounds of breathing and the quiet beeps of the Falcon's systems.

Nova returned her head to it's resting place on Poe's shoulder, and her arms draped themselves around his neck. Her necklace, now on a proper chain, slid forwards past the open collar of her shirt.

"When did you change it to a chain?" Poe inquired, running a finger along the smooth metal.

"Half an hour ago," she shrugged. "It's more comfortable."

Poe nodded and replaced it beneath her shirt. "Come back to sleep."

His voice was heavy with sleep and he had to stifle a yawn, nuzzling his head into Nova's neck.

"I'm comfortable here," she murmured, adjusting her position in his lap. "And it's not like you're letting me move anyway."

He chuckled against her skin and tightened his embrace. "S'pose not."

She leaned back to look at him again; a gentle smile on her lips. He looked up too, unashamedly admiring her. Their eyes scanned the other's face, memorising every detail. Every perfect imperfection. Every cut and fading bruise.

Their lips soon met in a tender kiss – undemanding, innocent and all together loving. Binding one to the other. They lingered there for a minute, eyes closed and lips lightly ghosting.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Nova soon leaned back into his hold, relaxing and letting her mind finally rest.

They were soon asleep in each other's arms.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

35 ABY

Nova woke up screaming.

The room was small, but not so small that the two people who occupied it every night felt trapped by one another. A bed, desk, chair, chest of drawers and two droid charging stations were all comfortably squeezed into place.

The only light in the room – dimmed – was radiating from a lamp on the desk. It was cold in tone, casting faint and haunting shadows across the walls. Unmoving but ever present.

It was somewhat clean; as clean as two pilots could possibly keep it. Clothes were discarded over the back of the chair, though one of the shirts had slipped and been left in a crumpled mess on the floor. Boots had been placed neatly by the door. A few personal belongings littered the desk: two datapads, a blaster and a holopic propped up against the lamp were among the clutter.

BB-8 and BB-6 were powered down for the night and charging in the corner.

A thin layer of sweat bound the bed sheets to Nova's body.

She pushed herself up onto her hands, throat raw and breathing uncontrollably ragged and heavy. Her brown eyes longed to moisten themselves with tears, but none would come. All she could do was pant and sweat and panic.

Poe's hand on her shoulder caused her to violently flinch and flip around to face him.

He pulled her up into a seated position by her shoulders and pushed her hair back from her face. His dark eyes were locked to her face as he set about the routine they had developed together to deal with incidents such as those.

"Breathe. I've got you, you're safe. Just breathe, Nova."

He grabbed her right hand and placed it over her heart, keeping his hand pressed over hers so that she could feel her heartbeat. His voice was soft but at the same time firm – a kinder version of his 'Commander voice' as they often called it.

"Regain control."

Nova shook her head, causing her hair – that had now grown to just past her shoulders – to fall back in front of her face in a tangle of brown locks, hiding her now tear-stained cheeks. "I–I can't –"

Poe used his free hand to push her hair back again, keeping it securely against her cheek. "Yes, you can. I know you can. Breathe. Regain control."

She leaned into his touch, focusing on the comforting feeling that came with his rough palm caressing her skin.

'Focus, Nova,' she chided herself. 'Come on. COME ON!'

A year had passed since her last encounter with Kylo Ren and her troubles with the darkness; and in that time, she had chosen to somewhat return to her training. The force might not be strong with her, but she could use her fragmented connection to lock the dark forces out of her mind – partly, at least.

Sleep was a vulnerable time for her. The nightmares hadn't been as bad and had begun to torment her less frequently. But every now and then, one would break through her defences; just like they used to every night for the past seven years of her life.

But this was something new.

She regained control of her breathing first, which in turn slowed her heartbeat back down. Her eyes were clamped shut as she focused her mind on building its fortress.

A moment came and went before her body collapsed, falling forward on the out-breath and pulled to rest against Poe's chest. There she remained, eyes still veiled and senses filled with him – his warmth, his scent, his feel. She traced patterns across his skin, losing herself in the motions.

"You're all right," Poe reassured her once again.

Nova nodded. "Yeah. But..."

"But what?"

"Ugh, I don't know," she sighed, beginning to become frustrated. She got up from the bed, ignoring the sudden wave of cold that hit her exposed legs. She placed her hands on the back of the chair and let her head hang low.

"Sweetheart, tell me what's going on, you're scaring me." Poe had moved to sit at the foot of the bed, watching her closely.

"This one was... different."

"Different how, exactly?"

She huffed out another sigh and began to pace. "My nightmares are always moments from my past. The worst memories I have to offer. I have to stand and watch myself go through hell again and again. But –" she cut herself off and massaged her temples.

Poe stood and caught her by the shoulders, guiding her to look at him. "Talk to me."

She paused, swallowing hard to try and dislodge the lump in her throat. "This wasn't a memory. This was something new – a vision? I don't know, but I couldn't even see anything; I could only feel..." she trailed off again.

"Nova, talk to me." His voice was a pleading whisper as he pulled her closer and pressed their foreheads together. "Please."

A silent tear rolled down her cheek. "Darkness. Raw, uncontrollable darkness, reaching out to plunge the galaxy into so much chaos and pain – ready to rip us all apart."

"It was just a dream," he murmured, brushing the tear from her cheek.

"No. No, it couldn't have been. I – it was too real –" She was starting to become hysterical.

"Breathe, breathe."

She pushed herself away from him and collapsed back onto the bed, hugging herself tightly. Her fingers dug into the fabric of Poe's shirt as she pulled it closer about her, the cold of the room finally catching up to her body. "My grandfather had visions like these about my grandmother before she died..."

"You're not your grandfather," he said firmly.

"But I'm a part of that bloodline. It has to mean something. Nothing good has ever come from these situations for my family." She winced and rubbed her temples. "Kriff, I feel like someone's opened up my mind and shoved all these things in my head! I just – I don't know!"

Poe sat back onto the bed with a sad sigh. He knew that it was quickly becoming a losing battle, but he refused to let himself back down and he refused to let Nova break. He understood that he could never fully realise everything she went through in her mind; all the pain and torment. But he'd promised he'd stay by her side no matter what, and he had no plans to stray from that.

Nova maintained her position, letting the sheets soak up the tears that had begun to fall in twos and threes. "Something's coming, Poe. Something big. And I don't think we're all going home from it."


	47. Chapter 47

Nova leaned forward over the engineering station, hanging her head with an agitated sigh. The tool in her hand rolled between her palm and the surface below, its warm, smooth handle rattling as it moved.

The Falcon was living up to her 'hunk of junk' title to an infuriating degree. One of the sub-alternators was on the blink – despite her best efforts to fix it – the landing gear was barely clinging to life and Maker knows what else.

Defeated, she dropped the tool back into the toolbox before collapsing back into the seat. She wiped her hands on her trousers, adding to the myriad of smears with more grease and oil. Her hair clung to her neck and forehead uncomfortably – she would have to cut it back again; it was getting ridiculously annoying.

Her eyes wandered over to where Poe, Finn and Chewie were sat around the holochess board, silently scrutinising the game laid out in front of them. From what she could see, it was Chewie's turn to move.

He leaned to get a closer look at the beasts in play, carefully analysing his next move.

Poe also leaned forward, staring at the Wookiee thoughtfully before breaking the silence. "You ever gonna go?"

Finn sighed, shifting in his seat. "He can't beat us every time."

"Yet apparently he does," Poe shrugged.

"How does he do it?"

"This guy right here? It's cause he cheats."

Nova stifled a laugh as Chewie roared in protest – Poe wasn't exactly wrong.

"We're kidding!" the pilot quickly reassured. "You're two-hundred and fifty years old, of course you're better than us!"

"You're taking forever, and that's why we think you're cheating!" Finn added.

Chewie looked to Nova and groaned, hoping that she would back him up. The boys followed his gaze, waiting expectantly.

"I'm not getting involved," she said.

The trio collectively rolled their eyes and turned back to the game.

"That's only because you also cheat," Finn muttered.

"Where do you think I learned?"

Again, Chewie protested.

"Watch your arms, boys," she warned over her shoulder, turning back to face the array of lights shining and flashing from the engineering station in various shades of red.

The shrill beeping of the nav-computer broke the carefree atmosphere, alerting the group of their imminent arrival.

'Playtime's over...' she thought.

Chewie was the first to rise from his seat, growling in a cautionary manner before trudging towards the cockpit.

"Don't worry," Finn said.

"We're not gonna turn it off," Poe finished.

The Wookiee grumbled to himself as he disappeared around the corner.

Finn shook his head as soon as he was sure Chewie was out of earshot. "He's cheating."

"Definitely," Poe agreed, turning the board off before standing up to also move to the cockpit.

"Or, you two just suck," Nova suggested, following after her boyfriend.

A loud scoff was heard from the back of the ship – undeniably the ex-stormtrooper – while Poe chuckled, draping an arm over Nova's shoulders as she reached him.

"Teach me how to cheat?" he mumbled, resting his head on her shoulder in an effort to wear her down faster.

"No, it's more fun this way."

They slipped into the cockpit together and took their seats. Poe sat up front in the pilot's seat beside Chewie while Nova sat behind them, leaning up to cut the sub-light engines and bring them out of hyperspace. The ship hummed as they navigated the icy tunnels with ease.

A shiver ran down Nova's spine as she leaned forward on Poe's seat, being careful to not distract him. The Sinta Glacier Colony was usually quiet, but that fact did little to calm her anxieties – Mid Rim worlds and colonies were a dangerous place to be during a war you were on the weaker side of.

"T minus five!" Poe announced, swinging the Falcon around smoothly into a tight nook within the structure.

"Nice move," Nova said, undeniably impressed that he hadn't clipped the sides.

A cocky smirk formed on his lips as he looked at her. "Thanks."

Chewie let out a low grumble from beside them.

"We're not!" the couple protested, though they knew he was only joking.

A sizeable squadron of TIE fighters was the thing to bring them back to their displeasing reality. They screeched through the tunnels, skimming the sides and surface and swaying uncomfortably. Closer and closer; their engines roared and howled like wounded beasts. Their black bodies and silver-accented wings making them look like large and volatile bugs.

"Finn, we're about to be cooked!" Poe warned.

"We're almost there!" Finn called back. A brief pause, and then: "We've got it!"

Nova pushed her crumpled and dirtied sleeves up to her elbows as she strode out of the cockpit to the gun turrets. She descended the ladder with ease, her body moving like clockwork. Headset on, hands on the controls; she was almost itching for the coming fight.

The Falcon shot off back into the tunnels, closely followed by the swarm of fighters. A shower of green lasers had begun, and the tight spacing made it hard to avoid.

A loud thud and the ship shuddering let them know they had swung to far and too fast.

"Watch it!" Nova complained.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I know!" Poe apologised profusely.

"We are not having a repeat of Bastatha, Poe!" she added, guiding the cannon around to get a clear shot. Her finger squeezed the trigger harshly as the targeting systems beeped, though she struggled to hit a single ship.

"I said I was sorry!"

Finn was fairing a little better than Nova, as after only a few missed shots he was able to send one TIE crashing and burning to the ice. "I got one!"

"How many are left?" Poe asked.

"Too many!"

Nova grimaced; the seat and cannon jolting into position again. "Any ideas?"

A tense silence momentarily reigned over the comms as the group frantically searched for a solution, until Chewie suggested something Nova struggled to catch. Fortunately, Poe had heard.

"Good thinking, Chewie," he grinned. "Guys, we can bolder these TIEs."

"I was just thinking that," Finn agreed.

Nova's eyes narrowed as her sensors picked up the beam ahead of them, ready to be knocked down with just a few shots. "Ready, Finn?"

"Ready."

The turrets swung in unison and opened fire. A shower of sparks greeted them as the Falcon sped underneath, barely avoiding being crushed.

Many of the TIE fighters weren't so lucky.

"Ha!" Finn exclaimed triumphantly. "Get us back to base!"

Nova sighed and slipped the headset off, taking a second to breathe while the blue light of hyperspace danced across her face.

It was regrettably a short second.

She pulled herself back up to the main deck as quickly as her body allowed. Finn was there to steady her; the pair kept a firm hold on each other's arms as they stumbled into the cockpit.

The Falcon lurched out of lightspeed, well within atmosphere and far too close to the planet's dangerous surface.

"Poe!"

"I know, I know," the pilot said, frantically hitting controls before they jumped to lightspeed again, but not for long.

Again, they dropped, this time on a gas planet that Nova guessed to be Bespin.

A few too many fighters were still on their tail.

"What the hell are you doing?" Nova snapped.

"Lightspeed skipping," Poe said, leaning back to chart his next jump.

"How do you know how to do that?" Finn asked incredulously, still gripping Nova's shoulder to stay upright.

Poe ignored his question.

They continued to jump from world to world, each time leaving with at least one less TIE fighter.

The peaceful lakes of Naboo.

The warm jungles of Kashyyyk.

"Hold together..." Nova muttered to the ship, her heartbeat racing with each jump.

Only two fighters remained as they made their next jump to a world covered by a blanket of green fog. Out of the fog rose a huge worm-like beast, opening its mouth as they approached; ready to swallow them whole.

"Last jump, maybe forever," Poe said, gripping the controls a little tighter. "Hold on!"

Nova held her breath as with one final push, the Falcon sped forward safely into the depths of hyperspace.


	48. Chapter 48

A mixture of disbelief and frustration was dangerously rising within Nova as she strode off the now burning Falcon. She ran a hand through her hair, creating even more of a dishevelled mess atop her head. Her features were drawn into a frown, and she avoided eye contact with any member of the small crowd of Resistance personnel that had already gathered.

She quickly spotted Rey, wearing a similar frown. Dressed in all white – somehow still pristine – she stood apart from rest. BB-8 rested loyally by her ankles, watching everything unfold with her.

"It's on fire! Everything, it's – it's on fire!" Poe rambled to everyone around them as he caught up to his girlfriend on the ground. "We could have really used your help out there!" He said to Rey as they reached each other.

"How did it go?" She asked, looking between the pair of pilots.

"Really bad, actually. Really bad." He rested his hands on his hips in an exasperated stance.

"I'd say that's an understatement," Nova admitted, earning her a glare.

Rey raised her eyebrows at them, noticing the flames coming from the back of the Falcon. "Han's ship?"

"What did you do to the droid?" Poe asked indignantly.

Nova looked down at the round, orange and white droid, suddenly noticing the black circle that was usually filled with an orange panel.

"What did you do to the Falcon?" Rey shot back.

"Falcon's in a lot better shape than he is."

"Beebee-Eight's not on fire!"

"What's left of him isn't on fire!"

Nova sighed heavily at their childish bickering, deciding to leave them to tire themselves out without her interference that had the potential to make things worse.

"Nova!"

She turned at the familiar voice, smiling a little as she saw her second in command approaching. "Bastila."

Bastila was younger than she was, around twenty standard years, but carried herself in such a way that many mistook her for older. Her dark skin almost seemed to glow in the light that was able to break through the trees, and her deep brown eyes shone with life and a small flare for mischief. Her pilot's uniform wasn't zipped up all the way, showing off the black tank-top she wore underneath.

"What the hell happened out there? Are you okay?" she asked, gesturing to the chaos that was still playing out.

"I'm fine. The Falcon, less so. I need you, Lel and Haken to get to work on her. Chewie will give you the diagnostics."

"I can manage Lel, but Haken was just sent on a supply run with Viado."

Nova ran her hands over her face and groaned. "Fine, Thessa then."

"You're trusting Thessa to work on your dad's ship, The Millennium Falcon?" Bastila said, raising an almost amused eyebrow.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."

A loud growl from Chewie caught her attention, and Nova knew she had to get back to Poe and Rey before one of them ripped the other's head off. "Just, keep an eye on her."

"Yes, Commander." Bastila nodded, jogging past Nova to go and round up who she could of the squadron.

"You lightspeed skipped?" Rey said, almost sounding impressed if it wasn't for the fire.

"Yeah, well it got us back here," Poe said, somewhat defensively.

Nova and Finn exchanged tired looks over Rey's shoulder. It seemed they were the only two managing to stay level-headed enough in spite of the stress the whole base was collectively starting to feel.

The group stood in a circle, everyone talking over each other.

"Poe, the compressor's down!"

"Oh, I know. I was there!"

"You can't lightspeed skip the Falcon!"

"Actually, turns out you can!"

"That doesn't mean you should! We're lucky to be back here at all!"

"Come on guys, we just landed..."

"You know, I didn't hear you tell me not to, Nova."

"She shouldn't have to!"

"All right, you three. Calm down."

Nova glared at Poe, who huffed and avoided meeting both hers and Rey's eyes.

"What happened?" the latter demanded.

"Bad news, that's what happened," he answered.

The group had begun to trudge through the thick foliage towards the main structure of the base, ignoring the looks their less than private interaction was drawing. Poe was at the front, followed by Nova who was keeping her distance just a little. Finn and Rey brought up the rear, side by side and with BB-8 at their heels.

"No spy?" Rey's patience was beginning to run out.

"No, spy," Poe corrected her.

"Did we make contact with the spy or not?"

"There's a mole in the First Order. They sent us a message," Finn explained.

BB-8 had caught up to his master, chirping innocently.

"You dropped a tree on him?" the pilot demanded, wheeling back around to face the group.

"You blew both sub-alternators?" Rey countered.

By that point, Nova had had enough. Their agitation had added to her own stress, causing her to feel a little sick. She rolled her eyes and muttered a few words to Finn before making her escape into the base, ready to distract herself with decoding the message.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm sorry," Poe mumbled, resting his chin on Nova's head.

The brunette didn't look up from her work, drumming her fingers against the panel while her brain worked overtime. The message was a lot longer than their usual intel, which was often fragmented scraps at best, and was proving difficult to decode. That amount of information coming from within the First Order itself meant something big was happening, and Nova wasn't sure if she wanted to find out what was in store.

"I shouldn't have shouted at you," Poe continued, draping his arms around her waist. "The stress was getting to me."

"It's getting to all of us," she sighed.

"We need a day off. When was the last time we were able to just be us?" Tenderly, he kissed her cheek, lingering there before moving his lips to her jaw. His stubble scratched at her skin pleasantly.

She hummed in agreement. "I'll ask mom for the end of the week off. I'm sure Snap and Bastila can cover our duties."

"I'm sure they'll be thrilled," Poe said dryly.

"They'll get over it." Nova's half-smile disappeared almost as soon as the words left her mouth, but it wasn't because of that. Her whole body tensed as she surveyed the decoded message.

"What is it?"

"Call a meeting. Now."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Poe's heart and mind were heavy as he looked around the congregation. "We've decoded the intel from the First Order spy, and it confirms the worst." He paused, letting the first, admittedly light blow settle. "Somehow Palpatine returned."

Murmurs of shock and fear spread across the crowd. Most had not been born under the reign of the Emperor, while others, like Poe, had been too young at the time to remember. All they had were stories, but stories had been enough.

"Wait, do we believe this?" Rose asked in disbelief.

Nova turned to face her mother, noticing the despair beginning to cloud her brown eyes. To think that everything she'd fought for, everything she'd lost because of the Empire, because of Palpatine, had all been in vain. Anakin's sacrifice, for her and Luke and the future of their bloodline was rendered meaningless.

"It cannot be!"

"The Emperor is dead!"

'If only that were true,' Nova bitterly thought.

"Dark science... cloning... secrets only the Sith knew," a newer recruit – Beaumont – trailed off, surprised that his knowledge on such twisted and unnatural things was relevant.

"He's been planning his revenge. His followers have been building something for years. The largest fleet the galaxy's ever known. He called it the Final Order." Poe explained, his voice low and expression grave. "In sixteen hours, attacks on all free worlds begin."

Nova chewed the inside of her cheek. 'Sixteen hours...'

"The Emperor and his fleet have been hiding in the Unknown Regions, on a world called Exegol."

R2-D2 let out a series of worried beeps from beside C-3PO, who didn't hesitate to translate for his friend: "Exegol does not appear on any star chart. Legend describes it as the hidden world of the Sith."

Nova sank to sit on the pile of crates behind her, staring ahead blankly. "So, Palpatine's been out there all this time. Pulling the strings..."

"Always. In the shadows from the very beginning," Leia sadly agreed, giving her daughter's shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"If we want to stop him, we must find him," Maz spoke up firmly. "We must find Exegol."

Darkness flashed across Nova's mind. No clear images, but feelings. Pain. Fear. Anger. Loss. All still to come. Soon.

Very soon.


	49. Chapter 49

"You don't need to worry," Bastila said, "I know the drill by now. I'll keep an eye on things until you get back from your awesome adventures." A smile graced her already friendly face, assuring Nova that she was in no way unhappy with the arrangement. In fact, she was rather happy with it. While Nova's tales of Jakku and the outskirts of the Unknown Regions excited her, she didn't want to live them herself.

Nova finished tightening her thigh holster. "You could come with us."

Bastila shook her head. "Someone has to make sure the squad stays in line."

"Hmm. And you get to spend more time with Lel."

The younger woman blushed. "I don't know what you mean."

Nova raised an eyebrow. "Trust me. Just ask her out. And if Dorn has anything to say about it, tell him he can take it up with me, not you."

"Why are you so invested in my love life? Is there a bet going around or something?"

She shook her head, her voice becoming sincere. "I wasted too much time dancing around and ignoring my feelings. I don't want you to make my mistakes."

Bastila nodded understandingly.

"Everything ready?" Finn asked as he walked by them, giving Nova a pat on the shoulder.

She nodded. "And that's my cue."

"Good luck."

The pilots parted ways with a respectful nod to one another.

"Got her up and running?" Poe asked as Nova approached.

"Yes, sir," she responded joyfully, grabbing one of the small supply crates that still needed to be packed.

"You were right before," Rey addressed Poe, hoping the comment wouldn't go to his head. "I'm going to pick up Luke's search for Exegol. I'm gonna start where his trail went cold. The forbidden desert of Pasaana."

"Yeah, I know. We're going with you."

"I need to go alone," Rey gently protested to her friends, now all stood before her.

"Yeah, alone with friends," Finn nodded.

"It's too dangerous, Finn."

"We go together."

The young Jedi looked around her friends, unable to hide her grateful smile. Finn's well-meaning gaze, Nova's reassuring smile and Poe's earnest demeanour all wearing her down.

BB-8 chirped from beside Nova's ankles.

"I whole-heartedly agree," C-3PO added.

"You're not getting rid of us that easily," Nova smirked.

Chewie roared in agreement.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As everyone made their farewells, tied up any loose ends and received wishes of luck and such, Nova found herself away from the group. A moment of calm before the oncoming, now certainly inescapable, storm.

Leia's hands, withering but soft, rested atop her daughter's. Her thumbs traced patterns across her knuckles in the way of motherly comfort. "You've come so far, Nova," she mused aloud.

The younger woman's eyes were fixed to the floor, and a sad smile rested on her lips.

"I'm so proud, and I know your father would be to," Leia continued softly. It didn't take her long to notice Nova's lost expression. "What is it?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I guess I'm just... scared."

"The dream again?"

She nodded, raising her head to look her mother in the eyes. "It's been getting worse."

"Does Poe know?" Leia felt that she already knew the answer.

Nova shook her head. "I don't want him to worry more than he does already."

"You don't need to punish yourself for this. Don't make yourself go through this alone."

Silence fell between the pair as they embraced. Leia's arms were tight around Nova's torso, one hand running through her hair in the way she used to do all those years ago on Chandrila.

Nova's chest felt tight as her arms wrapped around her mother's shoulders. A surge of emotions bombarded her as she felt like she was ten years old again, preparing to depart for her training. She had often wondered how different her life would be if she hadn't gone; how many sleepless nights wouldn't have been so sleepless?

"May the force be with you."

"Thank you, mom."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From Ajan Kloss to Pasaana, the cockpit of the Falcon was filled with little to no conversation, despite it being occupied by the whole crew. Everyone was too wrapped up in their own stress and thoughts to talk. So instead they settled to silently enjoy each other's company and watch the blue and white light of hyperspace pass by.

Once on the surface of the desert planet, the group began to trudge their way through the sand, again saying very little to one another.

"You sure this is it?" Poe called back to 3PO as they dragged themselves up the ridge.

"These are the exact coordinates Master Luke left behind," the droid assured him.

Nova huffed quietly, glaring down at her scuffed black boots and willing air to fill her lungs. Her free hand tugged to loosen her scarf a little – her other was busy holding Poe's as he pulled her gently if she started to lag. The sand and heat were already getting to her.

As they rounded the corner, the 'Forbidden Valley' came into view. And with that view came a whole other problem.

Below them a festival was in full swing. It stretched across the sands for a great distance; all bright colours, native music and merriment. That was something Nova loved about the galaxy. With every world came a whole new culture. You could travel all your life to the farthest stars and still miss so much.

Poe became incredulous. "What is this?"

"The Aki-Aki festival of the ancestors!" The golden protocol droid happily supplied. "This celebration occurs only once every forty-two years."

"Well, that's lucky," Finn remarked, his tone dryer than the sand.

Poe ran a hand over his face in defeat and Nova tugged at her scarf with a frown.

Rey seemed to be the only one unfazed by the new obstacle. In fact, she seemed at peace with her surroundings.

"Lucky indeed!" 3PO agreed, having not picked up on the sarcasm as usual. "This festival is known for both its colourful kites and its delectable sweets."

The group shared the same irritated expression – even BB-8 – as they turned to glare at 3PO.

Confused, he turned to look behind him, trying to figure out what they were all staring at.

Nova pushed her hair back from her face. The coming hours were going to be long.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I've never seen anything like this," Rey said, a child-like wonder in her eyes as they made their way through the crowds.

"I've never seen so few wayfinders," Finn deadpanned.

"We should be careful – keep our heads down. There's always random First Order patrols these days, even in peaceful places." Nova grimaced at her own paranoia, hating how much of a necessary precaution it had become.

Poe looked over the top of their heads at the Wookiee. "Chewie."

Chewie grumbled as he crouched uncomfortably to be closer to the same height as his comrades.

They quickly made it to a more open area, allowing them to recollect their thoughts and form some sort of short-term plan of action.

"Let's split up," Poe suggested. "See what the locals know."

"I'll get to some high ground. Keep an eye out for any unfriendly activity," Nova said, turning away to jog up the nearest slope that led to a good vantage point.

Rey moved to look around, still in complete awe of the exciting culture. It seemed that C-3PO took it upon himself to tail her, seeing as she was the only one who would listen to him kindly.

Chewie went off alone, keeping an eye on Nova as best he could from the ground.

Finn waited until they were entirely alone before he spoke. "So, you asked her yet?"

"If you have to ask, then I obviously haven't," Poe pointed out.

"Well, I don't know. Maybe you'd be keeping it quiet?"

"We'd still tell you. You're my best friend and so far, the only person I've told." The pilot scratched the back of his neck as they walked.

"Not even Leia knows?" Finn raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Apart from Leia."

They lapsed into a brief silence – tense but not to the point of discomfort.

"You know she'll say yes."

Poe sighed. "That's not the problem. It's trying to find the right time."

"Oh, the illusive 'right time'."

He shoved his friend's shoulder jokingly, but swiftly regained his more serious demeanour – his thoughts and reasons drifting back to the front of his mind. "Nova's not been in the best place recently. I don't want to," he paused, "push her over the edge."

"Poe, I don't think you proposing would do that to her."

"I guess..."

"What are you two talking about?"

Nova's voice caused the two men to jump and chorus a quick "Nothing!" to which she raised an eyebrow.

"Anything?" Poe said.

"Not that I saw," she shrugged. "We should be in the clear for now." However, it seemed she had spoken too soon.

Rey reached the group at a frantic sprint, visibly shaken. "We have to get back to the Falcon."

"What is it?"

"Kylo Ren."

Nova felt her blood run cold. 'Why here? Why now?'

The group, fully reassembled, began to move back the way they had come as quickly as they could. They stayed tight together. Eyes darting in all directions for any incoming threats. It wasn't long until they found one.

"Freeze!" The stormtrooper demanded.

They pulled up short. None of them had had time to reach for their blasters.

"I've located the Resistance fugitives. All units, report to –"

He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence. An arrow had already penetrated his helmet, and his body fell to the ground before them.

Nova frowned at the rather primitive weapon, turning with her friends to see who had fired it.

The figure – it was impossible to discern gender or species – was dressed thickly from head to toe in various thick and rich looking fabrics, quite out of place compared to their surroundings. The coat reached down to their boots, and a helmet shielded their face from view. A walking stick was gripped in their left hand.

"Follow me," they commanded, and the group obeyed without protest. It wasn't like they had any other choice.

They were led towards a large, ground-locked transport – some variation of land crawler. The wheels and tracks groaned under their own size, undoubtedly clogged up with dirt and sand.

Their saviour pushed some loose hanging fabrics aside and stepped on board. The rebels followed suit.

"Leia sent me a transmission," the former explained.

Finn frowned. "How did you find us?"

The stranger removed their helmet, revealing the man beneath. He was older than them, his hair a mix of black and grey. His eyes still shone with the light of years and adventures lived to their fullest.

Nova couldn't remember the last time she had seen her uncle, Lando Calrissian, but he hadn't changed at all in her eyes.

"Wookiees stand out in a crowd!" he laughed, flashing his signature bright smile.

Chewie stepped forward with an elated growl, pulling his friend into a hug.

"Good to see you too, old buddy," Lando said. Then, looking around the Wookiee, he saw her. "Nova..."

She felt like a little girl again as she dropped Poe's hand, running into her uncle's welcoming arms.

"My, you look so grown up."

"So do you," she teased.

Lando chuckled. "Yes, but you. You're a Resistance commander. You remind me so much of Han."

A flash of sorrow filled Nova's eyes, the brown somehow becoming deeper with emotion.

Lando looked over her shoulder at the others; still watching the reunion in silence. "These your friends?"

"Beebee-Eight, Rey, Finn and Poe." She pointed to each member in turn.

"This is General Lando Calrissian –" C-3PO began to introduce before Rey cut him off.

"We know who he is, Threepio."

"It's an honour, General," Finn beamed.

Poe hated to be the one to draw the group back to reality, but their time was running out. "General Calrissian, we're looking for Exegol."

Lando's expression became grave. "Of course you are." He fiddled with the communicator on his wrist, bringing up a holographic image of a small pyramid shaped object, covered in a pattern of engravings. "Only two remain."

"The Sith wayfinder," Rey said. "Luke came here to find one."

"I know. I was with him," Lando said. "Luke and I were trailing an old Jedi hunter, Ochi of Bestoon."

Nova grimaced at the image of the being in question – humanoid, with black, beady eyes.

"He was carrying a clue that could lead to a wayfinder," he continued. "We followed the ship halfway across the galaxy, here. When we got to his ship it was abandoned. No clue. No wayfinder."

"Is Ochi's ship still here?" Rey asked.

"It's out in the desert where we left it."

She looked to the group. "We need to get to that ship; search it again."

The familiar sound of enemy engines reached their ears, and together they rushed to the windows.

A small but all too large squadron of TIE fighters had cleared the atmosphere, barrelling their way down to land.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Lando muttered. "Ochi's ship is out past Lurch Canyon. Go!"

"Thank you, General," Poe said, exiting the craft closely followed by Finn, Chewie and the droids.

Rey paused, turning back to Lando. "Leia needs pilots, General."

"My flying days are long gone," Lando sighed.

"Don't say that," Nova urged – almost pleaded.

"Give Leia my love." His voice was earnest as he gave his niece's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"You can give it to her yourself."

And just like that, with one final proud smile and nod, they parted ways. And the Resistance fighters were back on the run.


	50. Chapter 50

Poe had already shoved himself beneath one of a pair of speeders by the time the girls had caught up with the group. "You got that other one?" he asked Nova, pulling at the wires to try and bring the engine to life.

"On it," she said. It had been a while since she'd had to hot-wire something, but the skill seemed built into her like a droid as she worked. Her father, much to the disapproval of her mother, had taught her such things at a young age. For what purpose she had never been sure, but she was none the less thankful for it.

Finn frowned, looking between the pilots as they worked. "How do you two know how to do that?"

They both ignored the question.

It wasn't long before the locals noticed them and began shouting in their native tongue. From their tone, profanities were undoubtedly among the things being thrown their way.

Nova slammed the panel shut as her speeder finally sparked to life. "We've gotta go. Now!"

Together they loaded the droids and then themselves onto the speeders. They were fairly divided – Rey, Nova, Chewie and BB-8 to one and Poe, Finn and C-3PO to the other.

Soon enough, they were away.

The crafts sped across the sand, leaving a thin tail of golden-brown dirt in their wake. They hadn't long left the festival for open desert before they were under fire.

Four stormtroopers, two to a heavy treadspeeder, were upon them. Their speeders fired hot, green bolts towards them, narrowly missing each time.

Nova gripped the steering mechanism tighter, urging and willing for them to go faster.

Rey and Chewie turned to counter the attack, but were unable to deal any effective damage – even with a Wookiee bowcaster.

"Switch!" Nova yelled to the Jedi, freeing her blaster. The scratched silver 'N' gleamed in the sunlight.

Rey took control of the speeder.

The bodies of the speeders lurched upwards before another shot could be fired. The two troopers on the backs were propelled up into the air, and their jetpacks kicked in. They sped ahead, beginning to close the gap between the two sides.

"Oh, they fly now!" C-3PO wailed.

"They fly now?" Finn frowned.

"They fly now!" Poe agreed. 'Of course! Why wouldn't they?'

'New plan! New plan!' Nova clenched her jaw. "Split up! Take the canyon, you can out-manoeuvre them easily in there!"

Poe pulled away wordlessly, becoming lost behind the great wall of sandstone. One of the treadspeeders followed.

Nova steadied herself as best she could; one hand on the speeder and the other tightly gripping her blaster. Her finger squeezed the trigger again and again. Her skin was covered by a thin layer of sweat.

Rey shrieked as the jet troopers continued to bombard them, shooting the ground ahead of them to disrupt their path. Great geysers of sand erupted around them.

"Nova, drive!"

Nova complied, finding her focus in guiding the speeder. Her free hand continued to clutch her blaster. 'Thank the Maker this thing has a squeeze-accelerator.'

BB-8, who up until that point had been oddly quiet, beeped frantically to the girls.

"Not now, Beebee-Eight!" Rey snapped – having been forced to grab Nova's arm to steady herself.

But the droid was undeterred. He turned to one of the canisters they'd been carrying and began tapping into it with one of his many hidden appendages. Soon enough, it shot up into the air with a tail of yellow powder before exploding into a golden cloud behind them.

The pursuing trooper was blinded, causing him to swerve his speeder. It sped up an outcrop and soared into the air, exposing the weaker underbelly.

Nova jerked the controls to pull the speeder around, giving her and Rey a clear shot. They took it.

The speeder burst into flames and came crashing down into the sand, taking its driver with it.

"Good job, buddy!" Nova praised.

"Never underestimate a droid!" Rey beamed.

Chewie finally managed to shoot one of the jet troopers, sending him crashing to the ground as the life sparked out of his jetpack.

After that, they were able to reach further into the desert undisturbed, and it wasn't long until they found what they were looking for.

"Ochi's ship!" Rey said, looking up at where it rested on a small, rocky hill; coated in dust and dirt. It certainly hadn't been touched for more than ten years. "I've seen that ship before..."

Nova turned to look at her, noticing the pain stricken look in her eyes as she stared at the ship. She knew the look and tone well – far too well.

The last jet trooper took that as his window.

Before any of them could process what was happening, both speeders – by that point they had managed to regroup - had been upended by an explosion.

Bits of smashed speeder fell around the heroes as they pushed through the pain of their landing. Fortunately, they had avoided the rougher ground, instead landing on a thick, black substance. No bones were broken, but a few bruises and the loss of dignity could be expected from most of the party.

Nova wasted no time recovering. Muscles aching, she gritted her teeth and grasped her gun, rolling onto her front to get a better shot. Her nose scrunched up in angry resolve.

The others followed suit, sitting up or rising to their knees. Blasters spewing hot bolts of red. And soon enough, one of those bolts found its mark in the trooper's jetpack. It spluttered sparks and sent its wearer spinning through the air, eventually colliding with the side of a cliff to explode into a shower of flames.

Nova sighed. But her relief was short lived.

Below them, the ground began to shift, almost like snakes were weaving themselves together all around them. It started to pull, sucking them down and down, covering them again as it went.

Nova imaged it felt similar to being buried alive.

"The hell is this?" Poe snapped from beside her.

"Sinking field." Rey supplied, wobbling a little as she was submerged up to her waist. "Try and grab onto something!"

"Bit late for that!" Nova pointed out – she couldn't even reach Poe, let alone anything stable to keep her on the surface. And before long, her body was completely buried. And still sinking.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Poe was among the first to fall through the bottom of the sinking field, surprised to find open space below him. His soft landing was also a surprise. Until he heard a groan from beneath him.

"How many times, Poe. I'm not a mattress."

Through the darkness he could just about make out Nova's face, and the amused if slightly murderous expression on it. He pushed himself up onto his forearms, removing his weight from her lower body. "Thanks for breaking my fall, sweetheart."

Nova grumbled and waved her hand dismissively. "Just get off."

Poe complied, helping her up along with him. "You all right?" He asked, pulling her into a quick hug and checking for any fresh cuts.

"A little bruised and my hair's full of sand." She groaned again as she felt the grains fall from her brown locks. She knew She'd regret letting it grow. "Where are the others?"

"Uh –" Poe looked around them, only spotting BB-8. "Rey? Finn?"

"You didn't say my name, sir, but I'm all right," C-3PO commented dryly, having just dropped down to join them.

From a branch of the tunnels, they heard what sounded like Rey's muffled complaints as she was still being pulled downwards.

"You get Rey. I'll find Finn." She didn't have to look far – barely managing to catch or break Finn's fall in any way. "You good?"

"Thanks – yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Finn nodded, accepting the offered hand. "Where's Rey?"

A heavy thud and guttural grumble stated that Chewie had arrived.

"Come on."

"What is this place?" Finn asked as he followed her back to the others.

"This isn't the afterlife is it?" C-3PO wondered. "Are droids allowed here?"

No one paid him any attention.

"Thought we were goners." Poe looked between his friends, relieved to see they were all unharmed.

"We might still be..."

Nova scanned around the tunnels, squinting through the darkness. "There a way out?"

Rey stepped forward, unclipping her lightsaber from her belt and igniting it. The blade hummed comfortingly and cast blue shadows across their faces.

Poe also stepped forward, flicking on his torch which in comparison to the saber, did very little to provide light.

Nova sucked her bottom lip between her teeth to stifle a laugh as she saw his expression lose all confidence. "Just... give it a minute."

From ahead of them, Rey snorted and Chewie let out a deep chuckle only a Wookiee could manage.

Poe flipped the torch in his hand, raising it to shine just past Nova's face. "You done?"

She had given up on hiding her smirk. She nodded, leaned forward to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, then turned to catch up with the rest of the group.

"I hardly feel that this is the time for that sort of humour, Mistress Nova," C-3PO muttered as she passed him.

Again, she ignored him – although she was surprised he'd even understood the joke. It wasn't like he was programmed to.

"What were you going to tell me?" Rey murmured.

"What?" Finn answered.

"When you were sinking in the sand, you said 'I never told you'."

"I'll tell you later."

"You mean when Poe's not here?" the pilot cut in, giving Finn a pointed look as he pushed through them.

"Yeah," he said.

"We're gonna die in sand burrows and we're all keeping secrets?"

"I'll tell you when you tell us about all that shifty stuff you do."

"Boys..." Nova warned.

"I'm looking at you too, Nova," Finn said.

"If this is about hot-wiring the speeders, we're pilots. You really think we don't know how our engines work?"

With a sigh, Finn relented.

Poe also sighed, though his was more in relief that the subject had been dropped. Nova's explanation seemed satisfactory enough, even if it wasn't entirely the truth. But she didn't need to know that.

"I do not want to know what made these tunnels," he commented, shining his torch around the structures.

"Oh, well," C-3PO chirped, "judging by the circumference of the walls–"

"I said I do not want to know. NOT."

They didn't have to look far until they found something.

Finn surveyed the pile of sand-coated metal. "A speeder?"

"An old one," Rey agreed.

Nova moved closer, examining every exposed inch that she could under the poor light. Despite it being broken, she could tell it was smaller than the ones they'd used – she guessed it was designed to hold a single driver and not much else.

Her brown eyes narrowed further when she spotted an intricately engraved badge on the front. "Anyone recognise this?"

It was swiftly drowned in torch light, though it didn't make identifying it any easier.

"A hex charm," C-3PO supplied. The first useful thing he'd said since they'd landed.

"A what?"

"It's a common emblem of Sith loyalists." His mechanical voice held a hint of horror, rightfully so.

The claustrophobic air turned cold.

"This was Ochi's?" Finn asked.

Rey's expression became grave. "Luke sensed it. Ochi never left this place."

"How'd he end up down here?"

"He was headed for his ship. Same thing that happened to us happened to him," Poe guessed.

Nova was keen to press on. "Right, so how did he get out?"

"He didn't," Rey said.

A step or two away from them lay a pile of bones – close to human except for the skull. They were undoubtedly Ochi's.

Poe turned away from the scene with a gulp. "Bones. I don't like bones."

But something else had caught Rey's eye – hidden within the sand not far from the remains. "Yeah, I see it," she nodded to BB-8.

The droid rolled closer, clearing some of the sand away to reveal a dagger.

Rey crouched down to pick it up, examining it under the light of her sabre. She turned it in her hand. Her breath caught in her throat, and the colour drained from her cheeks. "Horrible things... have happened with this..."

"There's writing on it," Poe pointed out.

"Perhaps I can translate?" C-3PO offered, taking the dagger when Rey freely offered it to him. He held it up to the light and read it. "Oh! The location of the wayfinder has been inscribed upon this dagger. It's the clue that Master Luke was looking for."

"And?" Nova said expectantly.

"Where's the wayfinder?" Finn finished in an identical tone.

"I am afraid I cannot tell you," the droid admitted.

"Twenty-point-three-fizillion languages and you can't read that?" Poe never had much patience when it came to 3PO, and this was certainly pushing him.

"Oh, I have read it, Sir," 3PO corrected. "I know exactly where the wayfinder is. Unfortunately, it is written in the runic language of the Sith."

"So what?" Rey said, seeming to share Poe's annoyance for once.

"My programming forbids me from translating it."

"So, you're telling us the one time we need you to talk, you can't?" Poe said.

"Irony, Sir," 3PO noted. "I am mechanically incapable of speaking translations from Sith. I believe the rule was passed by the Senate in–"

The droid's voice was swiftly drowned out by the menacing growls of a large creature behind him.

And suddenly the location of the wayfinder was the least of their problems.


	51. Chapter 51

The group frantically shuffled backwards, fumbling for their weapons amid BB-8's startled squeals and C-3PO's cries of "Serpent!"

The serpent rose up, hissing and spitting. Its six eyes, black and beady, blinked in unison. Ivory teeth menacingly glinted in the light of Poe's torch. It was hard to tell just how big it was, but it could certainly kill them all rather quickly if it wanted to.

Trapped between Poe and the tunnel wall, Nova's hand trembled. Brows furrowed, left hand coming up to try and support her right on the grip of her blaster. Her heartbeat racing out of control.

Finn and Poe seemed just as shaken as her, keeping their weapons trained on the beast.

But not Rey. She remained collected, brown eyes locked on the serpent in calm concentration, carefully considering her actions. Slowly, her free hand reached out to rest on Poe's blaster, guiding him to lower it.

Poe gave her a confused look, but wordlessly complied.

Finn and Nova followed suit – the former taking the lightsaber when it was passed to him.

The Jedi took a cautious step forward, one hand out in a sign of peace.

It hissed again, prompting everyone to take another step back. Poe, Nova and Finn reflexively raised their weapons again.

"Rey..." Finn's voice was full of worry.

Rey had tuned him out, keeping her gaze locked with the serpent's. Gingerly, she stepped over the coil of its body, barely breaking eye contact. It seemed as though she had a bond with it, whether by the force or no.

"Finn..." Poe began nervously.

"Shh," Finn said.

In the low light, Rey had spotted something on the serpent's body, out of view of the rest of the group. Crouching down, she reached her hand out to rest against it – an injury, gaping and red.

"I'm gonna blast it," Poe said, tightening his grip on his blaster, preparing to fire.

"Wait!" Nova hissed.

Rey became very still. Her breathing softened.

The serpent hissed again, though now it was calmer, friendlier. It lowered its head closer to Rey, all six eyes slowly blinking – perhaps in gratitude.

The group looked on in wonder, their arms slowly falling to rest by their sides once again, weapons lowered.

A sigh of relief was shared.

Sunlight stung their eyes as the serpent slithered away through the tunnels, revealing an exit to them.

BB-8 rolled up to Rey, beeping inquiringly.

"I just transferred a bit of life," she explained kindly. "Force energy from me to him."

The droid beeped again.

"You would have done the same."

Behind them, Chewie picked up the dagger that Rey had dropped, briefly examined it, then placed it into his satchel.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova was still shaking sand out of her hair why they made it to Ochi's ship, grimacing and grumbling every time a few grains escaped into her scarf or down the back of her shirt. Untucking it from her trousers, she cleaned out what she could as they walked before replacing the fabric.

Poe chuckled. "Never thought I'd see the day you complain about your hair being messy."

She stopped and glared at him. "I don't. Like. Sand."

An arm was thrown around her shoulders, pulling her into the pilot's side. Her glare soon turned into a smile, but not without an amused roll of brown her eyes.

"I'll keep that in mind," Poe said. His quiet tone suggested he hadn't meant to say it aloud.

"What?"

He briefly chewed his lower lip. "Nothing."

They lead the group in silence, beginning to climb the outcrop, the top of which held Ochi's ship.

"We cannot possibly fly in that old wreck," C-3PO said – not liking flying at the best of times.

"We have to keep moving. Find someone to translate that dagger," Nova said.

"Like a helpful droid," Poe added.

"I suggest we return to the Millennium Falcon at once," the droid said.

"They'll be waiting for us at the Falcon," Nova pointed out. Much as she hated leaving her father's ship – though now it was frequently treated as hers – she knew that there was no way around it.

"Yeah," Finn agreed. "They'll throw us in the Pits of Griq."

"And use you as a target droid," Poe said.

"You all make excellent points," 3PO relented, "at times."

Finn set about giving Poe a leg-up onto the next ridge. He offered the same to Nova, who shook him off, easily pushing herself up to the next level where Poe assisted in steadying her.

When they turned back to Finn, he had gone to Rey.

The Jedi stood looking out on the vast expanse of desert, seemingly lost in thought, or looking at something the others could not see. She turned to her friend, removing her bag and quarterstaff from her shoulders and handing the, to him. Then, turning again, she walked back down the rocks, out into the open desert.

"What's that about?" Nova called.

"Don't know," Finn said.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ramp hydraulics groaned and creaked, and dropped a thick layer of desert dust as it lowered.

The inside of Ochi's ship looked even worse than the outside. All the technology, along with any remaining supplies – now ancient pieces of junk – lay untouched, beginning to corrode. A dust lay over everything like a thick blanket. Cobwebs hung like ripped lace curtains.

"Let's see what we've got," Poe said, locating the power lever. With a sharp tug, the lights were brought to life. "Let's get those converters fired up."

Nova brushed her way through the webs to the cockpit, opening up the door and flicking the screen over the front window to let in the natural light – as well as disturb another coat of dust. With a cough and the press of a few switches and toggles, the engines began to come to life. "Is this thing even gonna reach atmosphere?"

"Let's hope," Poe muttered, sounding a little more optimistic than her as he pushed past her.

Finn loitered in the doorway, undeniably anxious. "Where is she?" He moved to look through the shutters, spotting Rey still walking out into the open desert.

"Finn, help us out over here," Nova said, pulling at her scarf a little – trying the alleviate the feeling of claustrophobia brought on by the humidity in the ship.

"Chewie, tell Rey we gotta go."

The Wookiee nodded, grabbing his things and heading back down the ramp.

With the help of BB-8, and unhelpful complaints from 3PO about the 'filthy' state of the ship, they were able to coax a more confident sound from the engines.

Poe and Nova took the pilot and co-pilot chairs respectively.

The latter was too busy to notice that Rey had stopped, still looking to something as of yet unseen.

"What is she doing?" Poe hissed. "And where the hell's Chewie?"

Then she felt it. The darkness, barrelling towards them – towards Rey – through the canyons. Accompanying it, the distant scream of a TIE fighter, undoubtedly carrying the host of the darkness closer and closer.

Finn had realised it too. "It's Ren," he breathed, turning and running out of the ship.

Nova sat frozen in her seat, fists unconsciously clenched, knuckles turning white. Her breathing and blinking had become controlled, deliberate. Her gaze remained locked on Rey, unseeing and beyond nervous.

Poe reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. The only comfort her dared to try and give her.

She returned the gesture. Her simple way of telling him she was okay. That she was coping.

Rey ignited her sabrer, pivoting away from the TIE fighter just as it screeched into view. She waited, slowly turning to look back at the ship before she took off running.

'What the hell is she doing?' Nova thought.

Just as the TIE was about to run her down, she jumped into a backflip, propelled up and over the ship. The saber cut through the wing like a hot knife through butter, causing irreparable damage. 

Rey landed, swallowed by the cloud of dust the fighter had left in its wake.

The sliced wing quickly broke off with a groan, soon followed by the second as the ship lost all balance. The cabin sailed through the air, skimming the ground like a stone on a lake, until it landed in a ball of flames and smoke.

Nova leapt from her seat. A sharp intake of breath stung her chest. All she could do was watch.

Poe glanced between her and the scene playing out below them.

Finn ran out to Rey, grabbing her attention just as the boom of an engine was heard.

A First Order transport ship was flying over them, heading up to escape into the atmosphere.

Rey didn't hesitate – reaching out and ensnaring the ship with the force. The raw power and tension were almost visible in the heat.

From the smoking remains of his TIE fighter, Kylo Ren emerged, draped in all black. Mask in hand, cloak caught in the wind. He too reached out, though he was pushing.

The ship groaned. Trapped in the air. Never quite rising or falling.

The power and tension had become palpable, even from where Poe and Nova stood in the ship.

Nova unconsciously held her breath.

The clouds burst.

Jagged, blue lightning shot out of Rey's hand, striking the transport ship, tearing it apart violently. It came crashing down in a ball of broken metal and flames between her and Ben.

Poe's hand reflexively slammed over Nova's mouth when she screamed.

The vision flashed in her mind. The darkness. The cold. The lightning. The death. More details were coming through, but nothing was any clearer. It was all just noise.

She collapsed back into her seat, eyes wide and breathing erratic.

Poe gripped her shoulder, crouching down beside her as he tried to calm her. He cursed under his breath as the sound of TIE fighter engines reached his ears. They were about to be in more trouble if they didn't get off Pasaana soon.

"I'll be back," he mumbled, planting a quick kiss to her temple before running back out into the desert to call the others.

Nova swallowed harshly.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ship sat in space quietly, concealed by an asteroid belt.

The group sat around in silence, still trying to collect their thoughts on what they'd seen. What they'd done.

They'd lost Chewie in the transport explosion.

Nova still couldn't quite believe it. Chewie had always been there, even when she was a little girl. It felt very strange to say he was gone. And so suddenly. She couldn't bring herself to blame Rey. Even though the power had come from her, she knew it wasn't on purpose. It was new. It was dark.

It wasn't Rey.

It couldn't be.

"We've only got eight hours left," Poe informed, marching out of the cockpit to join the others. "So what are we gonna do?"

"What can we do? We've gotta go back to base," Finn said, shrugging his shoulders in defeat.

"We don't have time to go back. We are not giving up," Poe protested. "If we do that, Chewie died for nothing."

"Poe, Chewie had the dagger!"

"Well, we've gotta find another way."

"Well, there isn't! That was our only clue to the wayfinder-thing and it's gone!"

"So true," C-3PO said remorsefully. "The inscription lives only in my memory now."

The quartet turned to look at him.

"Hold on. The inscription that was on the dagger is in your memory?" Poe asked.

"Yes, Master Poe," the droid said. "But the translation from a forbidden language cannot be retrieved. That is short of a complete redacted memory bypass."

Finn frowned. "A complete what?"

"It's a terribly dangerous and sinful act performed on unwitting droids by dregs and criminals."

"Let's do that!"

3PO turned to him in indignation.

"I know a black market droidsmith," Poe muttered.

"Black market droidsmith?" the droid echoed in horror.

"But he's on Kijimi."

"Kijimi?" Nova said incredulously.

Finn looked between them. "What's wrong with Kijimi?"

"I had a little bad luck on Kijimi," Poe explained, seemingly wanting to avoid the subject entirely.

Nova raised an eyebrow.

"But if this mission fails, it's all been for nothing," he sighed. "All we've done, all this time..."

Finn rose to his feet. "We're all in this," he turned to look at Rey and Nova, still seated. "'til the end."

Nova stood, slowly followed by Rey who said a soft "For Chewie."

Finn nodded, taking Nova's hand, then extended the other to Poe.

He raised an eyebrow at him. "Hands?"

"Hands," the other man said firmly.

Poe nodded. "For Chewie."

C-3PO shuffled forward too, taking Poe's hand – much to his discomfort.

"Kijimi," he decided, dropping the hands he held and turning to go back to the cockpit.

Nova gave Rey's hand a reassuring squeeze before following.

"Mistress Nova, I really must protest –" C-3PO started.

"I know you must, Threepio," she sighed, entering the cockpit.

Poe didn't look up as she entered.

"You gonna tell me what you were doing on Kijimi?" she asked, leaning against his seat.

He still refused to look at her. "It doesn't matter."

A tense silence followed. Silences between them were seldom tense anymore. Something was up.

Nova sighed again. She wasn't in the mood to play games. Instead, she returned to Rey.

The Jedi sat alone, looking at her hands. Deep in her own thoughts. She gave Nova a sorrowful look as she joined her, prompting the older woman to wrap an arm around her in comfort, resting her head on her shoulder.

The pair perked up a little as BB-8 appeared, followed by another, smaller droid.

"H-hello," he greeted, looking up at them inquisitively. His body consisted of a wheel – a rather squeaky one – and his head was cone-shaped, painted green at the end.

He reminded Nova of some small, knitted creatures she'd watch in a children's holo-program when she was very young.

"Hello," Rey said, stretching out her hand towards him.

He quickly rolled back. "N-no thank you."

"Looks like someone treated him badly," Rey murmured. "It's all right. You're with us now."


	52. Chapter 52

Kijimi hadn't changed much since Nova's last visit only four years prior. Just as cold. Just as dark. Just as full of unsavoury characters. Only now she wasn't one of them. Now her face wasn't hidden behind black cloth and metal.

Now she was Nova.

One thing had changed though. The First Order had an unavoidable presence. It was clear they weren't just looking to crack down on galactic crime. Not even the New Republic had wanted to oppose it.

Kijimi only managed to stay stable without a governing body because everyone was out for their own gain and self-interests. It was anarchy, but it was just controlled enough to survive.

Squadrons of stormtroopers covered every square inch of the city with patrols. Their boots were loud against the stone streets. The pristineness of their white armour looked more out of place than ever and by extension, more threatening.

Poe had gone ahead to scout out the streets, leaving Rey, Finn, Nova and the droids hidden down a smaller street.

"I don't like this," Finn muttered, tugging his hood lower over his face.

Nova had her back to him, watching around the wall.

Being back made her uneasy. She'd been avoiding eye contact and conversation since they landed. She didn't need the questions, attention and harsh judgement that would undoubtedly come with the revelation.

She didn't want to think about those dark years.

They had bigger things to worry about, and they couldn't afford to waste time.

"I don't either," she admitted, ducking back to avoid a patrol. "But I trust Poe."

On cue, Poe stalked across the street to rejoin them. "They're everywhere," he said.

A woman's cry briefly caught their attention - troopers were raiding her house. Taking her child for "recruitment".

"All right, I know what we should do," Poe continued.

"So do I. We should leave," C-3PO cut in.

"Clam it, Threepio," he scolded. "Follow me."

They set off through the streets. Heads low. Bodies close together.

Poe stopped them when they reached another corner, calculating their next move. "All right, let's head down –"

He fell quiet, feeling a blaster being held to his head.

"Heard you were spotted at Monk's Gate," a rough, female voice – the owner of the blaster – said. "Thought, 'he's not stupid enough to come back here'."

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Poe retorted, though his voice didn't hold its usual confidence.

The rest of the group had come out from behind him, reaching for their weapons when they saw the situation.

The woman was tall and slim. Dressed in a deep red coloured suit with metallic, bronze accents. Her face was hidden behind a sizeable helmet, finished in bronze to match.

Poe held up his hand – telling them to wait.

"Who's this?" Rey said.

"What's going on?" Finn pressed.

"Guys, this is Zorii," he introduced hastily. "Zorii, this is, Rey and Nova and Finn –"

"I could pull this trigger right now," Zorii threatened.

"I've seen you do worse."

"For a lot less."

"Can we just –" he turned to face her, lowering his hood. "talk about this?"

Zorii kept her blaster raised to his face. "I wanna see your brains in the snow."

"So you're still mad?"

She cocked her head, most likely narrowing her eyes behind the visor.

Poe continued, undeterred. "Zorii, we could use your help. We need to crack this droid's head open and fast."

"Pardon me!" C-3PO exclaimed.

"We're trying to find Babu Frik."

"Babu?" she asked, incredulous. "Babu only works for the crew. That's not you anymore." Her tone was heavy with resentment.

"What crew?" Nova piped up; brows drawn in a frown.

"Oh, funny he never mentioned it. Your friend's old job was running spice."

Poe sighed heavily, levelling a glare at the woman.

"You were a spice runner?" Finn asked.

The pilot whirled to face him, his voice rising a little in indignation. "You were a stormtrooper?"

"Were you a spice runner?" Rey echoed.

"Were you a scavenger?"

Nova glared at him in disbelief. "You were a spice runner?"

"You were a bounty hunter!" The words left Poe's mouth before he even thought about it.

Nova looked as if she'd been punched in the gut. Never had she felt so betrayed. Her eyes flared with anger beneath the shadow of her hood.

"You were a bounty hunter?" Rey and Finn chorused from either side of her.

"Oh, we could do this all night!" she snapped, ignoring the apologetic look her boyfriend tried to give.

"We don't have all night," Zorii retorted, keeping her attention on Poe. "You know, I'm still digging out of the hole you put me in when you left."

She had stalked her way down the line the group was in, blaster still raised, daring any of them to move. It was clear she was analysing all of them. Her gaze lingered on Nova a little longer than the rest – a fact the latter returned with a defensive stare.

Nova knew when she was being sized up, and she knew when she was surrounded.

Zorii's gaze then moved to Rey. "You. You're the one they're looking for. Bounty for her just might cover us. Djak'kankah!"

"Don't djak'kankah," Poe weakly protested.

She also knew a call to attack.

Instinct kicked in.

She wheeled around to find two opponents.

She stuck her left arm out, pushing Finn and Poe against the wall before kicking the first attacker in the stomach, causing him to stumble back.

Poe and Finn flinched in surprise, only able to watch.

Nova moved and kicked the second attacker in the knee, bringing him down to her level. A swift punch to his jaw sent him down to the cold stone of the street. Unconscious.

The first was back on his feet – pulling a weapon.

Nova was faster.

Pulling her blaster, she fired a single shot at his hand.

He dropped his blaster, gripping his injury with a loud cry.

She kicked it away.

Turning back to the rest of the group, she found Rey standing above Zorii, keeping her at lightsaber's length.

"We could really use your help. Please."

"Not that you care," Zorii spat, "but I think you're okay."

"I care," Rey said, returning her sabre to its place on her belt.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova stayed at the back of the group as Zorii led them off the streets, even behind the droids.

She had no desire to talk to or even look at her companions. She felt so exposed, ashamed, and most of all betrayed. Her chest felt tight and her eyes stung with tears she refused to let fall.

They were led through a bar – the air heavy with the stench of spice and alcohol – to a quieter back room. A workshop of sorts.

Filled with heirlooms of bygone wars, it was any collectors' dream. Pieces of astromech, protocol, battle droid, every model under every sun, could be found in there. On shelves. In crates. Hanging from the ceiling. In piles on the floor. It was a time capsule of technology.

Nova stayed sat on the steps, watching on in silence as C-3PO was hooked up to be tampered with by Babu Frik – a tiny, wide-eyed being who spoke with a very odd dialect.

"I don't wanna talk to you," she snapped as Poe sat down beside her.

"Nova –" he tried.

"I don't wanna talk to you."

He sighed. "Look, I don't know what to say. I was a dumb kid, running away from responsibility, and I ended up here. Trying to survive."

"You think I'm mad because you did it?" she whipped around to face him. "I'm hurt that you didn't tell me. I thought we were meant to trust each other."

"I didn't think it mattered. It was fifteen years ago!"

She turned away from him again.

"And you can't tell me that you would have been any better."

"I can't believe you!" She stood, glaring down at him.

"You know I'm right," he said, matching her expression. "If you hadn't been my mission, I wouldn't know, right?"

"How many times are you gonna throw that in my face tonight?"

He paused, sighing again. "I didn't mean to say it in front of the others."

"Doesn't matter now." Nova's jaw clenched. "It's different anyway."

He raised an eyebrow. "'It's different'?"

"You had a choice. I didn't."

It was Poe's turn to stand. "You think I had a choice? They would have killed me!" he snapped.

"You chose to run!"

"But you chose to kill." His tone had become cold.

She took a step back as if she'd been struck.

"We both had choices, sweetheart. And we did it to survive. I thought you'd be the one to understand that."

Nova stormed off to the other side of the room, afraid she might punch him in the nose if she was around him much longer. Once alone – as alone as she could be – she ran a hand over her face, catching any tears before they could fall.

She knew she was being watched, but she couldn't bring herself to care. That was until her watcher approached.

"I know who you are." Zorii almost sounded amused as she circled her like a hawk.

"It's not like my face is plastered across the holonet," she bit back.

"No, Blitz."

She stiffened at the name.

"Who would have thought that behind that mask was the daughter of Leia Organa."

Nova continued to stand her ground, biting her tongue the whole time.

"Guess it runs in the family," Zorii shrugged. "Poe certainly has a type."

That comment cut deep.

Nova caught the other woman's arm before she could walk away, pulling her close to glare into the visor of her helmet. Her voice was quiet and venomous. "We are nothing alike," she hissed.

"No?" Zorii glanced down between them.

Each woman had a blaster pressed firmly to the others' abdomen.

They released each other when Rey spoke up from beside C-3PO – the whole reason they were there.

"Zorii? Is this gonna work?"

The spice runner exchanged a few words with Babu, then turned back to the others. "He says he's found something in your droid's forbidden memory bank. Words, translated from Sith?"

"That's it," Rey nodded.

"Yeah, that's what we need," Finn said.

Zorii turned to look at Poe. "Who are you hanging out with that speaks Sith?"

"Can you make –" Poe grumbled, coming down from his place on the steps "Babu, can you make him translate it?"

Nova glanced around the group while Zorii and Babu further conversed.

"Yes, but it was cause a complete –"

"A complete memory wipe," C-3PO finished.

"Wait, wait, wait. We make him translate it he won't remember... anything?" Poe asked.

"Droid, memory go blank," Babu said. "Blank, blank."

"There must be some other way!" the droid protested.

Finn frowned. "Doesn't Artoo back up your memory?"

"Oh, please. Artoo's storage units are famously unreliable."

"You know the odds better than any of us," Rey said. "Do we have a choice?"

C-3PO stood, being careful not to disturb any of the wires attached to his head as he considered his answer. "If this mission fails it was all for nothing. All we've done, all this time..."

He turned to face them, his emotionless face almost looking sad.

"What're you doing there, Threepio?" Poe asked.

"Taking one last look, sir," he responded mournfully. "At my friends."

Nova averted her gaze to the floor. She hadn't realised just how attached she really was to the droid. Like her father, she had been frequently irritated by him, leading to more than a few snappy comments, but she didn't want to see him gone.

Muffled thudding and the groaning of First Order walkers outside caught their attention, breaking the sombre moment.

"Night raids are gonna start soon," Zorii said. "I'll keep lookout."

"I'm coming with you," Poe offered, ignoring the glare he could feel Nova giving him.

Zorii scoffed. "Still don't trust me, huh?"

"You ever trust me?"

"Nope."


	53. Chapter 53

Kijimi City lay shrouded in darkness, only illuminated by the hostile light of torches or walkers – the sound of their steps and hydraulics echoed through the streets. Distant screams and barked orders accompanied them.

From the rooftops, a few explosions could be seen going off across the mountain. The orange flames looked strange in the blue and white tinted darkness.

Everything was colder.

Poe had never liked the cold.

"How long's it been like this?" he asked.

"First Order took most of the kids a long time ago. Can't stand the cries anymore," Zorii said. "I've saved up enough to get out. I'm going to the Colonies."

He frowned. In all the time he'd known Zorii, he never thought she'd want to leave. Never thought she could.

She was so deep into the life of crime, a life outside of it must seem so out of reach. So mundane.

But then the First Order arrived. Everything changed. If you wanted to survive, maybe leaving was the only option.

"How? All those hyperlanes are blocked."

She reached into her boot, pulling out a small disc which she held up to the light.

He examined it. "That's a First Order Captain's medallion." He couldn't help but smile in disbelief. "I've never seen a real one.

"Free passage through any blockade," Zorii said. "Landing privileges, any vessel." Her helmet whirred. The visor retreated, revealing the eyes beneath. "Wanna come with me?"

Poe sighed. There was a time he would have considered it, even jumped at the chance. But there was no way that was an option for him now.

"I can't walk out on this war," he said. "Not 'til it's over. Maybe it is. We sent out a call for help at the Battle of Crait. Nobody came." He swallowed hard, the feelings of hopelessness that he'd held back for so long starting to creep in. "Everyone's so afraid. They've given up."

Zorii frowned. "No. I don't believe you believe that."

He's lowered his gaze to the metal of the roof they lay hidden on.

"Hey," she said. "They win by making you think you're alone. Remember?"

He nodded.

"There's more of us." She flicked her visor back down, returning her gaze to the city below. "So, you and Blitz, huh?"

"Don't call her that."

She glanced at him in surprise. "She's not here."

"I don't care," he snapped.

There was an uncomfortable pause, in which Zorii looked over Poe's expression out of the corner of her eye. Reading him as subtly as she could. She didn't need to face him to read his feelings – the defensiveness, the compassion. The utter love and devotion.

"You're crazy about her," she chuckled softly.

Poe stayed silent.

"You want my advice?"

He looked to her, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't wait too long. Cause you're not gonna get much better than her."

He smiled to himself. "I know."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova stood alone, confining herself to a corner. Her fingers lurked beneath her scarf, fiddling with the pendent. The chain occasionally dug into her neck as she pulled it, but she ignored the dull sting.

C-3PO had since been powered down as Babu continued to work on him in silence, save for the odd mumbled babble.

Rey too was isolating herself, however she had their newest droid companion for company. She was crouched down, oiling him.

BB-8 rested by Nova's ankles. He'd given up on trying to get her attention by bashing his head into her knees, and so had fallen into silence with a low, sad beep.

Nova was grateful for his presence alone.

"If you've got something to say, just say it," she said sharply, aware that Finn was staring at her again.

The man sighed, deciding to bite the bullet and approach. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Her jaw clenched. "You think that's something I'd want to tell people? You think I'm proud of it?"

"I guess not." Finn shrugged, followed by a pause. "But Poe knew. Do you not trust me enough? Or Rey?"

"Poe knowing was not my choice." She swallowed, keeping her gaze fixed ahead. Her boots scuffed against the floor. "I was his mission."

"What?"

"There were always whispers, and my mom had her suspicions. So, she had Poe work with her to find concrete proof that it was me. To bring me home. Apparently it took them a year." She smiled softly, feeling a little bit of pride in her chest.

"That's how you met?"

She nodded. "They set me up. Contacted me for a job. He was sent to meet with me. Pulled my own blaster on me and everything."

Finn chuckled. "Impressive."

She shrugged. "I guess."

"And no one else knows?"

"No. Poe promised he wouldn't say anything. He didn't hold it against me. He gave me a chance to be better..."

"Your secret it safe with us." Finn sighed, wrapping an arm around her. "And, don't be too hard on Poe. I don't think he meant for this to happen."

"Yeah," Nova sniffed quietly, pushing her hair back over her shoulders.

"He loves you more than anything."

"I know."

Finn gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze, coaxing her to join him back with the rest of the group.

She didn't resist, allowing herself to be guided over to where Rey stood, watching the droids.

"Something's not right about all this," Rey murmured. Her face once again held a haunted, mournful expression.

"What do you mean?" Nova asked.

"I know where I've seen it. The ship he was on. Ochi's ship."

"What?" Finn frowned.

"The day my parents left were on that ship."

"Are you sure?"

Their conversation was cut short by the door opening, heralding the entrance of Zorii and Poe.

"There's an incoming destroyer," the former said.

"We've gotta go now," Poe added, looking around the group. "Did we get it? Babu?"

"Yep! Droid is ready!" the tiny being announced happily.

Sparks crackled from the back of C-3PO's head, and he sat up straight. His eyes were glowing a dark, wicked red, and his head snapped about to look at them unnaturally. His voice was deeper and more robotic as he spoke.

"The Emperor's wayfinder is in the Imperial vault. At delta three-six, transient nine-three-six, bearing three-two, on a moon in the Endor system. From the southern shore. Only this blade tells. Only this blade tells."

The red drained back to black, and his body fell back into the chair.

Babu cheered.

"The Endor system," Finn said. "Where the last war ended?"

"The beginning of the end," Nova corrected with a frown.

The destruction of the second Death Star had only been one head of the beast that had been the Galactic Empire. It had taken an additional year to root out and destroy the rest. And it seemed that their parents and grandparents hadn't been as successful as they thought.

A loud BOOM rumbled the workshop. A ship had dropped from lightspeed within the atmosphere – a large one at that.

Rey lunged up the steps, knocking the doors open to reveal a Star Destroyer. "Ren's Destroyer."

"He's here?" Poe said in alarm, instinctively looking to Nova.

Her fists clenched by her side.

Rey remained motionless, still looking up at the ship. Her voice broke with a tremble. "Chewie...?"

"What about him?" Finn said.

"He's on Ren's ship. He's alive."

"What?" Nova gasped.

"He's alive!" Rey repeated, her voice stronger again. "He must've been on a different transport."

"We've gotta go get him," Finn said.

Nova hummed in agreement.

Zorii turned to Poe. "Your friend's on that sky trash?"

"I guess he is!" Poe said.

From beside him, C-3PO reactivated with another spark, once again sitting upright. His voice had returned to its usual tone. "Might I introduce myself? I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. And you are?"

The pilot huffed. "Okay, that's gonna be a problem.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The group, once again lead by Zorii, darted back through the streets to their ship. No one seemed to notice the cold or patrols anymore, choosing to leave their hoods down, exposing their faces.

"Threepio, move your metal ass. We're almost there," Poe grumbled.

"How dare you!" the droid exclaimed. "We've only just met!"

Nova stuck close to Rey and Finn, often glancing back to make sure their trio of droids were safely beside them. Together they made it to the ship, stopping only when they noticed Poe was no longer with them.

Zorii had caught his arm. Producing the medallion from her boot once again, she held it out to him. "Might get you on a capital ship. Go help your friend."

Poe frowned. "Zorii, I don't think I can take this."

"I don't care what you think," she snapped, pressing it into his hand.

The foreboding screech of a TIE fighter approaching reached their ears.

"We have to go!" Nova called, feeling her anxiety rising to a deadly point.

Poe turned back to his friend. "Come with us."

Zorii shook her head. "I can't."

He sighed, knowing deep down he shouldn't have expected any other answer.

She shoved his arm. "Go."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ship was filled with a tense silence.

Poe had taken the cockpit with Finn, while the girls stayed in the common area with the droids.

Nova already had her blaster in hand, toying with it to distract herself. She would glance to Rey every now and then.

The Jedi seemed to be in better spirits than before, safe in the knowledge that she hadn't brought about the death of one of their friends.

Nova chewed her tongue, unsure if it was appropriate to ask. But she needed to know. "I've been meaning to ask... what exactly happened on Pasaana?"

Rey's expression dropped. "I lost control."

"Of what?" She frowned, turning to look her in the eyes. "That can't have been you."

"But it was. It came from me."

Nova swallowed, continuing to examine her face, slowly coming to a realisation. 'Who is she?'

"Get ready," Poe said, striding past them.

The girls hadn't noticed they'd landed.

Together, the quartet waited at the top of the ramp as it lowered. Blasters poised, ready for a gun fight.

Steam was still falling from the hydraulics as two stormtroopers approached. "Credentials and manifest –"

They both yelled out as their white armour was burned black with blaster-fire, each receiving two rounds.

Rey, Finn, Poe and Nova ran down into the large hanger, firing a few more shots to take out the remaining guards at the entrances.

Rey turned back to the droids. "You three, stay there."

"Happily," C-3PO agreed.

Poe looked to Finn. "Which way?"

"Uh," the ex-trooper paused, trying to get his bearings. "No idea. Follow me."

They took off to the largest door.

Working their way through coldly lit corridors, ducking out of the way of patrols every now and then. Sneaking around Star Destroyers felt all too familiar to every one of them by that point.

Finn kept the lead, always being the first to step out and check their next path was clear – Poe was never far behind.

The sound of another door closing grabbed their attention, allowing two troopers to spot them from behind.

"Drop your weapons!" The first demanded.

Poe, Nova and Finn reflexively froze, raising their hands in surrender as they looked to the blasters pointed at their chests.

Rey stepped out in front of them, waving her hand in a curve. "It's okay that we're here."

The troopers lowered their weapons. "It's okay that you're here."

Again, she waved her hand. "You're relieved that we're here."

"Thank goodness you're here."

"Welcome, guys."

"Does she do that to us?" Poe asked, glancing to Finn.

"Jedi mind tricks only work on the weak minded," Nova reassured. She was still angry, but she couldn't deny the fact that Poe was one of the most strong-minded people she had ever known.

Rey had ignored his question. "We're looking for a prisoner, and his belongings."

The troopers cooperated, pointing them in the direction of the interrogation chambers without batting an eye.

Rey bid them thanks; and once again they were on the move, filled with a little more hope.


	54. Chapter 54

Another door opened, bringing the group into yet another set of hallways, all lit in the same uninviting blues and whites.

Wordlessly, they fanned out, each taking a corridor to clear. No chances could be afforded.

"Cameras," Nova warned, having spotted one out of the corner of her eye.

Her and Poe acted accordingly, shooting them out before they could even be noticed – they hoped.

Finn set to work on the next door, carefully entering codes.

They didn't want to make more mess than was necessary. If they could get in and out as if they were never there, that would be ideal.

Rey was once again distracted, looking down the hallways at something the others could neither see nor sense, drawn by a force.

Nova turned to her. "What is it?"

"The dagger is on this ship. We need it."

Poe frowned. "Why?"

"A feeling. I'll meet you back at the hanger."

"I'll come with you," Nova offered.

Rey shook her head. "This is personal."

It was Nova's turn to frown, but before she could inquire any further, Rey had taken off running down the opposite hallway.

"No. Rey, you can't –" Finn was cut off by Poe grabbing his arm.

"Chewie," he reminded him.

The trio took the newly available corridor, keeping their blasters cautiously raised. The worst could still come.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It didn't take the trio long to reach the interrogation block, managing to avoid any more run ins with stormtroopers.

Another door opened, revealing a darkly lit room. Mostly black panels adorned the walls, highlighted by tiny, blinking red lights.

And in the middle, forced to his knees, arms pulled behind him and shackled to the wall, was Chewie.

The Wookiee let out a growl of relief when he saw them.

"Of course we came for you, Chewie," Poe said, setting about freeing him with Finn's help.

Nova kept her eyes and blaster on the door.

Chewie growled a question, noticing they were a woman down.

"Yeah, Rey's here. She going to get the dagger," Finn explained.

The men hauled him to his feet, making sure he could comfortably stand and move before heading back to the door.

"We'd better get moving," Nova mumbled.

"Copy that," Poe said, stepping out into the hallway.

One thing everyone noticed about Poe and Nova was their ability to keep their personal lives out of missions. Once in the heat of battle, it was almost as if the squabble had never happened. They would follow each other's' orders, working together as seamlessly as they did usually. And once the day was won, they'd go back to how they were before – which generally involved being very short with one another for an hour or so.

Most people credited this to their natural chemistry, which was partially true. But it was also came from the deep respect they had for each other. Respect that had been earned over their years of working together, paired with the even deeper trust and love they shared.

Before Chewie could step past her, Nova wrapped her arms around him tightly. Her head rested against him, quickly being engulfed by his fur. A small moment of vulnerability and relief.

He patted her head and gave a comforting groan – almost a purr.

She smiled, then returned to business. Face hard, blaster raised.

"Follow me," Finn instructed, leading the group back out into the open. He headed for a door, but made a quick retreat as two troopers appeared and opened fire. He was able to hit one in the chest before he shot out the door controls, letting the blast doors seal and separating them. "Wrong way!"

"Not really a right way, is there?" Poe grumbled, turning to the opposite end of the hallway. A shower of sparks greeted him. He ducked for cover against the wall, waited, then moved to confront the attacker.

The first trooper hit the floor after one shot.

Finn jumped out ahead of them, taking out the second, then continued running.

Poe stopped, crouching down to grab the fallen trooper's blaster and slide it across the floor to Chewie.

Chewie picked it up – somewhat awkwardly – and spun to face the next set of troopers.

Together, him and Nova made quick work of them, and soon they were running again.

Ducking and dodging blaster fire as they went, they let a trail of fallen stormtroopers and once pristine walls scorched in many places.

Round a corner. Down a small flight of stairs. Up a ramp. Down another corridor.

Nova had stumbled a little on the stairs, having decided to jump down the short distance, falling to the back of the group in the process.

"We close?" Poe asked, having taken the lead.

"Straight ahead!" Finn confirmed.

Another squadron appeared behind them.

A string of curses slipped past Nova's lips as her blaster refused to fire.

Finn instinctively grabbed her arm as he turned to fire upon the troopers, pulling her to cover against a wall. They were barely five strides from the next intersection.

Nova smacked her blaster, desperately trying to get a spark of life from it. Her efforts were met with no reward, and she was forced to return it to her holster. Her heart was racing at what felt like one hundred miles per hour. Her brown eyes narrowed. Her jaw clenched.

The sound of an unarmoured body hitting the floor gave her cause to turn. Her eyes went wide, and her heart stopped, dropping to the pit of her stomach. She was too shocked to scream, so instead she took off running, covering the distance in three strides.

Poe had been hit – she wasn't sure exactly where – but his body laying in a crumpled, barely moving heap on the floor made her fear the worst.

Her vision was beginning to blur by the time she reached him. She dropped to her knees, rolling him over to find that he was still alive. A strangled breath escaped her as she held him.

Poe groaned, holding his left arm where he'd taken the hit. He wanted to tell himself and the others that it wasn't that bad, but the pain and heat coming off of it made that very hard for even him to believe. He was too in shock to move, instead leaning against Nova as she knelt beside him, though he didn't face her.

Finn soon joined them, crouching down to Poe's right. "You all right?"

Poe was about to answer, when the sound of many pairs of boots on polished floor coming from every direction filled his ears.

"Nope," he mumbled, looking up as they were quickly surrounded.

Nova rose to her feet, standing over him protectively despite the fact she was unarmed. Her eyes burned with an untameable flame, daring any of their captors to come any closer.

"Drop your weapons!" they chorused regardless, keeping their weapons trained on every member of the group.

No way out.

Finn and Chewie tossed their weapons to the floor.

"Hey, fellas," Poe said half-heartedly.

"Shut up, scum," a trooper spat.

Their weapons were collected, and the binders were brought out.

Nova glared at the trooper who removed her blaster from her holster. "You mind charging that for me?" she said, cocking her head to one side.

That earned her a swift kick to the back of her knee, sending her to the floor with a groan.

She heard Poe struggling and protesting behind her, trying to break free of the troopers' grip.

She glowered up at the trooper cuffing her, spitting at his pristine boots. She refused to give them the satisfaction of taking her without defiance.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The quartet were pulled down yet more hallways, though not without a good deal of complaining.

Nova was finding it hard to walk, the pain in her knee pulsing far more violently than she had expected.

She kept glancing at Poe, noting the extend of his injury. Smoke was no longer coming off it, but it still burned a menacing black with hints of red.

'How very in line with the First Order,' she thought.

They were brought before three high ranking officers, all looking just as stuck up and twisted as each other.

The youngest looking was easily identified as General Hux. He looked even more weasel-like in person than he did on holo-broadcasts.

"Allegiant General," one of the troopers addressed the oldest officer. "The scavenger's not with them."

"Take them away," the Allegiant General sneered. "Terminate them."

Nova kept her gaze on the floor, feeling her stomach drop as she began to try and come to terms with her reality.

She didn't notice that Poe had immediately looked to her, or the mournful expression on his face.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Under Hux's supervision they were taken to a dark room, pushed into a line before a firing squad made up of four stormtroopers.

Nova swallowed, her breathing shaky. She'd imagined her death many times, but it had always been by her own choice. An act of self-sacrifice in control of her ship, going out in a glorious ball of flames. Never something so trivial as a blaster round to her back.

She glanced to Poe, wishing to take his hand – though the binders wouldn't allow such a luxury.

The troopers' blasters whistled as they were raised and aimed.

"Actually," Hux cut in, "I'd like to do this myself."

Nova sighed. At least someone would get some satisfaction out of her execution.

"What were you gonna tell Rey before?" Poe said, directing his words towards Finn.

"You're still on that?" the other man asked.

Poe turned to glare at him. "Oh I'm sorry. Is this a bad time?"

"It sort of is a bad time."

"Well, cause later isn't really an option –"

"You can't be serious..." Nova groaned.

"If you're gonna let something off your chest -"

They were cut off by the sound of blaster fire, causing them to reflexively duck, waiting for impact. But nothing came.

They turned in unison to see the four troopers dead on the floor with Hux standing above them, blaster smoking.

"I'm the spy," he said.

"What?" Poe exclaimed.

"You?" Finn said.

Nova couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.

"We don't have much time," Hux continued.

"I knew it!" Poe said, smiling like an overjoyed child.

"No, you did not!" Finn countered.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Uncuffed and rearmed, the group followed the General through the ship, still surprised that he was in fact on their side. Normally they would have all been highly sceptical, but they were in no position to argue.

Finn had one arm around Nova, helping her keep pace with the rest of the group as her knee continued to give her grief.

Ahead of them, the droids came into view, laden with Chewie's weapons. But Rey wasn't with them.

"I've shut down the impeders," Hux informed them, opening the door to a hanger. "You've got seconds."

Through the window, they were able to get a glimpse of the Millennium Falcon. Still a hunk of junk, but still in one piece.

"She's a survivor," Poe said, darting through the door.

Chewie and the droids followed after him.

Hux stopped Finn and Nova before they could pass. "Wait, wait. Blast me in the arm. Quick."

"What?" Nova frowned.

"Or they'll know."

Finn nodded, pointing his blaster at Hux's arm. Then at the last second, he changed his mind, firing a single shot into the General's thigh.

Hux crumpled to the floor with a whimper.

"Why are you helping us?" Finn asked sternly.

"I don't care if you win," Hux spat. "I need Kylo Ren to lose."

Nova scoffed. "Of course. Wouldn't have expected anything more from you."

Hux glared up at her. "That attitude. You might fight on different sides but you're no different from your brother, Organa."

Nova moved to kick him, struggling against Finn as he dragged her away into the hanger, mumbling that she needed to calm down.

"I am calm," she hissed, shrugging him off as they boarded the Falcon.

She dragged herself into the cockpit, gritting her teeth against the pain. The adrenaline was wearing off far too quickly for her liking.

Upon reaching the cockpit, she was able to place herself in the pilot's chair, taking control of the ship.

Chewie had already done most of the preparations needed for their departure. He gave Nova a concerned groan when she sat down.

She brushed him off, focussing on the controls. Much as she loved her father's ship, she much preferred being in control of a smaller, more manoeuvrable starfighter. There was no need to ask why she was the one in control – after the lightspeed skipping incident not ten hours earlier, Chewie was not letting Poe anywhere near piloting the Falcon – and so the task fell to her.

She could never shake the feeling of being a little girl in the cockpit of that ship, despite the many memories she'd created in there since those times.

"We ready to go?" she asked.

Chewie nodded.

"Threepio said Rey was back in hanger twelve," Poe said, leaning forward on Nova's seat.

"Okay," she murmured. "Let's get her and get out of here."

The cockpit fell silent as the ship began to rise, carefully trading the prison of the hanger for the openness of space.

With Poe's guidance they were able to find the hanger they had entered through.

Nova was unable to get a good look at what was waiting for them, barely able to spot Rey before she turned the ship to face away – ready to leave as soon as they were able to.

The aft was already being sprayed with blaster fire. Not that it would do any real damage.

"You're going to have to be quick!" Nova called back to Finn.

Standing up from her seat, she pulled the auxiliary power controls, giving the sublight engines a boost to send anyone in the hanger flying backwards – no one could stand against those engines.

She could feel the dark presence of her brother, but pushed the dread and anxieties that came with it to the side. Her facial expression scarcely shifted.

"Chewie, make the calculations for our jump to lightspeed."

The Wookiee nodded.

A pause was felt, in which time everyone on board seemed to collectively hold their breath. Then, the moment was broken by Finn calling back to the cockpit that they were ready to go.

The controls were frantically slammed, and a minute later, they were swallowed by the bright light of hyperspace.

Poe and Nova shared a sigh of relief.


	55. Chapter 55

"I don't know why they're not following us, but I don't trust it," Poe mumbled, still leaning on Nova's seat.

The console sparked, and Chewie growled.

"Landing gear's busted? How busted?"

Nova sighed, burying her face in her hands. The feeling of everything falling apart was starting to gnaw at her chest. A feeling that was not helped by Poe's hand on her shoulder. She knew the intention, but she felt his grip tighten a little too much – his muscle contract. Heard the grunt of discomfort as he disturbed his injury.

"Chewie see what you can do with it," she said.

The Wookiee nodded.

Taking Poe's hand, she led him out of the cockpit and back to the bunks. Once he was seated, she dug through his bag and the drawers in search of medical supplies. Again, she sighed. They were woefully understocked.

"It's fine," Poe assured her quietly.

Nova shook her head. Her lower lip caught between her teeth in thought. All she could do was clean the wound, bandage it and pray to the stars that it didn't get infected.

Crouching down beside him with what supplies she could find, she began to roll up his sleeve. The wound was barely exposed before she couldn't go any further. "Can you...?"

"Yeah." Poe nodded, setting about loosening his shirt. He slipped his arm out, letting the material fall and leave most of his left side exposed.

Nova grabbed a clean rag, dampening it with a canteen of water before bringing it up to clean his arm. The wound was already cauterized – having been created by a burning hot laser – so she didn't have too much to do.

Poe watched her silently, relaxing under her touch. His eyes would meet hers every now and then, but she'd quickly look away as soon as they did, feeling a little out of place under his affectionate gaze.

"If I could heal you, I would."

"Don't you dare." His voice was low, commanding.

A short silence followed.

"Nova –"

"I'm sorry." She looked up at him.

He fell quiet, waiting for her to continue.

"For Kijimi. I was way out of line. I had no –" she trailed off. She dropped her gaze again and chewed the inside of her cheek. "You were right."

Poe sighed. "Look at me."

Wordlessly, she obliged.

He cupped her face, running his thumb across her cheek. "It's okay. Maybe I should have told you in the first place."

"No, you shouldn't." She stood, moving to retrieve what little bandages they had. "It's your business. If you don't want to –"

"Hey." He caught her wrists when she returned to him, stilling her movements.

A confused look flashed across her face, only for it to be wiped away.

Poe pulled her forwards until he was able to crash his lips onto hers. He smiled as he felt her relax into him, letting him guide her body until she was straddling him. Every movement was natural to them. It was as if they had never been fighting.

"You know," Nova mumbled as she pulled back, "you can't win me over like this every time."

Her body begged to differ as she leaned back in to kiss him again.

"No?" He chuckled, welcoming her back without complaint.

"No," she returned, but the breathless tone her voice had adopted didn't help her point.

Again, she was the one to break the kiss. As much as she wanted to continue, she couldn't leave his wound unbound for much longer. She felt guilty, even responsible for it, even though she hadn't been the one behind the trigger.

She was able to wrap a single layer of bandage around his arm before she was forced to cut it – if much more was used then she would be unable to tie it securely.

"So, we're okay?" she asked, sitting back to let Poe readjust his shirt.

"Of course we are," he said, pressing another quick kiss to her lips.

She ran her hand over his arm. "I'm sorry, this is the best I'm able to do."

"It's fine," he assured her, examining it the best he could without disturbing it too much.

Nova shook her head. It was not enough. With faltering fingers, she reached for Poe's scarf, carefully removing it with little trouble or resistance on his part. She wrapped it around his arm, tying it firmly.

Poe flinched slightly and tried to stifle a grunt.

"Sorry."

He shrugged it off, looking up at her with a grateful smile. The ring, safely hanging from the chain around his neck, felt a little heavier – more present. He scanned her face, his own features softening as he took her in.

Nova ran her hand along his jaw, bringing his gaze back to meet her own; his stubble felt rough against her palm. "What?"

They were interrupted by Finn leaning against the doorway. His face worse a frown, and his whole body looked tense. "You're needed up front."

Nova sighed. "I have a bad feeling about this."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Falcon's landing on Kef Bir was distinctly inelegant, despite Nova's best efforts to work with the faulty landing gear.

Grey clouds hung in the skies. The air felt fresh, filled with the scent of wildflowers and the ocean ahead. Rocks and a few small patches of trees littered the hilly landscape, and the ground was covered in a thick, yellowing grass.

A brisk breeze blew through them as they started to climb the nearest ridge.

Once at the top, they were greeted with a view none of them ever thought they would see. They took a few steps forward, still trying to fathom what exactly they were looking at.

Below them, through the mist and sea spray, a large, jagged shape loomed. What had been laser dish of the second Death Star, now claimed by the raging sea.

"This is a bad place, from an old war," Rey muttered.

Nova had been brought up on the stories of the battles of Endor and Yavin, told to her by her father and uncles. She had never liked them, despite the triumphant spin and embellishment added in every retelling. They had always made her feel cold.

"It's gonna take us years to find what we're looking for," Poe said.

Rey thought for a moment, playing the translation from the dagger over in her mind. "Only this blade tells..."

Reaching into her bag, she produced the dagger, turning it over in her hands, considering it. Her fingers traced the cross guard, finding something protruding from the end. When pulled, it was found to be a measurement arc.

She raised it, slowly turning with narrowed eyes until she saw it – the edges lining up with the debris. "The wayfinder's there."

Their efforts were interrupted by the sound of hooves coming up behind them.

"Heads up," Poe said, drawing his blaster.

The others followed suit.

Above them was a group of roughly a dozen people, all of them riding tusked, equine looking creatures. All of them looked a little rough around the edges, though that was to be expected. No settlements could be spotted nearby and to the rest of the galaxy, Kef Bir was supposedly uninhabited.

In short, company had not been expected.

Each of them possessed a weapon, but none of them were raised.

A woman – presumably, the leader of the 'tribe' – rode forward. She looked to be of average height. Dark skin, black hair, dark eyes.

"Rough landing," she said.

"I've seen worse," Poe said.

"I've seen better," she retorted, still surveying them. "Are you Resistance?"

"That depends."

"We picked up a transmission from someone named Babu Frik," she explained.

Nova and Finn exchanged an uncertain glance.

"He said you'd come," the woman continued. "He said you were the last hope."

"We have to get to that wreck," Rey said. "There's something inside there we need."

"I can take you there by water."

"Have you seen the water?" Finn countered dryly.

"Not now. Too dangerous. We can go first light tomorrow."

"We can't wait that long. We don't have the time," Rey said.

"Or the choice," Nova sighed. They were in no position to argue.

Poe nodded. "Let's get that ship fixed."

The couple returned their blasters to their sides, climbing back up the hill to join the newcomers.

"You got any spare parts?" Poe asked.

"Some," the woman said. "I'm Jannah."

"I'm Poe."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Almost every panel in the Falcon's cockpit had been pulled back or opened, leaving the mess of wires behind them exposed. Everything was frayed or half-fried – most of it was manageable, but some things had to be completely replaced.

Nova was elbow deep in a panel, pulling out an assortment of dead wires.

Beside her, Poe was fiddling with the new parts they were able to procure, preparing them for instalment.

"What a dreadful situation," C-3PO muttered. "Is every day like this for you people? Madness."

Poe removed the tool from between his teeth, wondering aloud, "Did we ever find his volume control?"

"I know where his off switch is," Nova said.

"Even better."

She rolled her eyes, giving his shoulder a playful nudge, doing her best to avoid disturbing his arm, then went back to dismantling her section.

It was times like those that she missed Charlie or wished Rose had come with them.

A series of anxious beeps heralded BB-8's arrival.

"What is it, buddy?" Poe asked, crouching down to his level.

The droid provided a hurried explanation.

"What do you mean you haven't seen her?"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Poe, Nova, Finn, Chewie and Jannah scrambled back to where they had been standing on the hill, looking out across the raging ocean.

Through the quadnocs, Finn spotted Rey.

She was already on the water, heading out towards the wreckage against the waves.

Finn huffed, passing the quadnocs to Poe.

"She took the skimmer?" Jannah asked in horror.

Nova frowned. She knew Rey was never one for patience, but this was something else. She had a feeling Rey had a much more personal stake in everything now, which she had not shared.

Poe turned, heading back down the hill. "What the hell was she thinking?"

"Poe, we gotta go after her," Finn said.

"We'll get the Falcon fixed and get out there as soon as we can."

"No, we're gonna lose her."

"Look, she left us!" Poe sighed. "What do you wanna do, swim?"

"She's not herself. You have no idea what she's fighting," Finn defended.

Poe stopped, whirling around to face his friend. "And you do?"

"Yeah, I do," the younger man said. "And so does Leia."

"Well, I'm not Leia!"

Finn snatched the quadnocs from him. "That's for damn sure."

"Finn!" Nova snapped, but he ignored her, instead stalking back up the hill.

She turned to Poe, who looked as though he'd been slapped in the face. "Hey."

"Finn's right," he sighed. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

"None of us do."

"Yeah, but everyone is expecting me to lead. I should know what I'm doing!"

"Hey, hey." She kept her voice low as she pulled him into a hug, running a hand through his dark curls.

He clung to her, trying to stop himself from shaking.

It took a lot to get Poe to break, for him to be truly vulnerable. He tried to stay optimistic for those around him. Act confident in his abilities to keep anxieties low. But there was only so much he could do to keep up the façade before the cracks came in. He was reluctant to let others see them. Not even Nova had seen the extent of the damage until a few months prior.

"Look at me," she coaxed, leaning back a little. "It's going to be okay. You're a good man, and a strong leader. I trust you, and I'm with you. No matter what. Okay?"

Poe nodded, letting out a shallow breath.

Nova leaned in, pressing a lingering kiss to his lips. "It's going to be okay."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Repairs on the Falcon resumed, though this time they were accompanied by silence. The only sounds heard would be that of metal, sparks, and the occasional tool dropping.

Nova was alone in the communal area, once again leaning over the engineering station, spanner in hand. She had taken a break to remove her scarf, tying it around her bruised knee to provide it with some support. Her hair hung over her face like a curtain, hiding her tired looking eyes and sweat covered forehead.

She swallowed hard, drumming her fingers against the surface.

Chewie groaned to her from the cockpit.

"Fine," she dismissed. "Nearly done."

Something was off. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach, clawing its way up through her body. Her eyes were unfocused, and everything seemed loud in her ears.

Then everything stopped.

Quiet reigned around her.

She could feel it – their presence, the light and the dark, both fading fast.

Her family, together across the stars.

She turned, staring blankly at the empty room.

The tool slipped from her hand.

The life force faded.

Nova's breath caught in her throat as it hit her all at once.

"Mom."


	56. Chapter 56

The loud crash that followed Nova hitting the floor was enough to alert the rest of the crew. She was unconscious before impact.

Poe was the first to reach her.

He grabbed her wrist, frantically trying to find her pulse. Upon finding the steady beat, he pulled her into his lap, holding her close to him. He pushed her hair away, gently cupping her face – she looked peaceful, like she was only sleeping.

"She's breathing," he said, looking up at Chewie and C-3PO.

Chewie bent down and scooped Nova up in his arms. He gently placed her across the seats surrounding the hologame table.

"We need to cut our losses," Poe sighed. "Let's get Rey and Finn and get out of here."

Chewie nodded, giving a soft growl.

"Thanks."

The Wookiee turned and walked back to the cockpit, closely followed by C-3PO muttering "Oh dear, oh dear."

Poe remained beside Nova, weaving their fingers together and giving her hand a squeeze. "Come on, baby. Talk to me. Please. What happened to you?"

Her shirt sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, leaving her forearms exposed. A few bruises, grease and dirt decorated her fair skin, like smudges of paint on a canvas. All her scars had long since healed – with the assistance of bacta.

Poe traced patterns across her skin, thinking back to the night on Ikkrukk.

Another victory for Black Squadron – though not without everyone's fair share of scrapes.

Nova in particular had received a sizable burn to her thigh when her fighter, a rather knackered Y-Wing on loan from the Hutts, had taken a beating. When they'd landed, she had struggled to walk, requiring immediate medical attention, which the Prime Minister of Ikkrukk had been more than willing to facilitate – it was the least she could offer the team for their services.

It had taken no small amount of convincing to get Nova into a bathtub's worth of bacta, being among the individuals who found the viscosity of the substance displeasing. She had been submerged up to her chest, letting the bacta heal her wounds, old and new. Except for two – the blaster wound to her right shoulder and the burn to her left hand.

Poe hadn't questioned her on why she wanted to keep those scars, feeling it wasn't his place. He had sat with her through the whole process, holding her hand and distracting her from the feeling of the bacta.

His thumb traced the scar on her palm.

They had agreed to never bring up how she had got it since the Battle of Starkiller. Neither of them wanted to relive it.

BB-8 came to sit beside him, looking up at Nova. It was clear to see he was just as worried as Poe. He rolled closer, pushing his head against her hand, beeping sadly.

"Me too, buddy," Poe sighed, giving Nova's hand another squeeze.

He didn't notice the Falcon come to a stop above the wreckage of the Death Star. He didn't look up when Finn entered, damp and looking forlorn.

"Nova," Finn breathed, taken aback by her unconscious state. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Poe muttered.

"Is she all right?"

"I don't. Know!" He whipped around to look at him, a desperate anger flashing in his eyes.

Finn stood his ground, giving his friend a sympathetic look. He could only imagine how anxious he must be feeling for him to snap in such a manner.

Poe sighed, shutting his eyes in an effort to calm himself. "Where's Rey?"

"She's gone."

He sighed again, hanging his head, letting a string of curses escape under his breath.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They had just dropped out of lightspeed above Ajan Kloss when Nova woke up, but with the state she was in she might as well still be unconscious.

Her eyes were open but unseeing. She was sat, elbows resting on her knees and head bowed.

Poe remained crouched in front of her, keeping her hands securely in his, only moving once they had landed.

He stood, gently guiding Nova up with him; his right arm firmly looped around her waist. Feeling her left arm instinctively wrap around his shoulder, he took her hand again.

Dejected, the team dragged themselves down the ramp.

Commander D'Acy was there to meet them, her expression grave and sorrowful. "Poe, something's happened. Nova..."

"This can't wait." Finn brushed past her.

"We've gotta see the General," Poe said, following his friend.

D'Acy's face fell even further. Fresh tears began to brim in her eyes as she spoke, her voice catching in her throat. "She's gone."

No one needed to ask what she had meant when they turned to face her again. Their hearts ached. Their expressions had dropped even further.

Nova had already known, she'd felt it in her entire body, but she hadn't wanted to believe it – to trust her instincts and connection. But there was no escaping the reality.

Her mother, their leader, a symbol of hope to the galaxy, was dead.

Tears were already cascading down her face when he legs gave out from under her, bringing her down to her knees. She was too grief-stricken to feel the pain to her injury on impact. All she could do was cry.

Poe had done his best to steady her descent. He sunk down with her, pulling her against him, letting her cry into his chest, muffling her sobs and screams. All he could do was hold her tightly, stroking her hair and mumbling words that he hoped would provide even the smallest bit of comfort.

Chewie too was inconsolable, falling to his knees with a growl of anguish, pushing Finn away when he tried to approach.

There was nothing that could be done.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not even an hour could be spared for the Resistance to grieve.

It seemed the First Order was aware of their loss and had struck hard and fast with one brutal stroke. Reports were already flooding in of their latest attack.

They had hit Kijimi – completely obliterating it. The purpose was clear. It was a message not only to the Resistance but to the galaxy at large. They were ready, and they were not planning on taking prisoners.

"How?" Poe asked, his voice a fraction of what it usually was.

"A blast from a Star Destroyer," D'Acy said. "A ship from the new Sith fleet. Out of the Unknowns."

Poe let out a shaky sigh.

Beaumont paced around him "The Emperor sent a ship from Exegol. Does that mean every ship in the fleet..."

"Has planet killing-weapons," Poe finished, "of course they do. All of them."

"This is how it ends," Nova murmured, staring at the ground from where she sat with Connix, perched on a pile of crates.

"Listen." The monitor beside Rose came to life, playing a message recorded in a distorted voice in an even more distorted language. "It's on every frequency."

"'The Resistance is dead'," Beaumont began to translate. "'The Sith flame will burn. All worlds, surrender or die. The Final Order begins'."

"Leia made you acting general," Rose said, turning to Poe. "What now?"

Nova too looked to her boyfriend, feeling her heart ache for him.

Poe sighed, turning away from the others, trying to hide the pained look in his eyes.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova had confined herself to the shadows of the Millennium Falcon, avoiding the stares of passers-by. She did her best to deter them from approaching, glaring off at nothing with tear stained cheeks and raw eyes. Her chin rested on her arms, which in turn rested atop her knees, pulled near to her chest.

"Hey, kid."

She raised her head, her glare slowly morphing into a watery half-smile.

Above her stood Lando, carefully leaning on his cane. His expression was soft, sympathetic – providing some much-needed warmth and comfort. "How you holdin' up?"

All she could respond with was a sniffle.

He took a step closer, opening his arms to her.

Nova forced herself to stand, staggering forward until she could hide her face in his shoulder. She choked back another set of tears, trying to stop herself from shaking too violently.

"I know, kid," Lando sighed quietly, rubbing her back.

"I – I just –"

"I know."

"Everything's falling apart..." she mumbled, clinging to him a little tighter. "How can we go on from this? There's no hope..."

"There's always hope. Your mother always had hope. All of this," he glanced around the base, the ships, the soldiers, "was built on that hope."

"She's gone."

"But you're not."

Nova frowned, stepping back to look him in the eyes.

"What she fought for lives on. In you. Your friends. Everyone here."

She shook her head. "I can't uphold that legacy."

"You really think your mother would expect that of you?" he said. "All she'd want is for you to do the right thing. To not give up."

She ran a hand over her face, drying her reddened eyes.

"As long as you fight, Nova, the galaxy will have hope."

Nova nodded, sniffling again, a new resolve growling in her eyes.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What little light reached the alcove danced across Poe's face, illuminating the tears he'd tried to keep hidden until he was alone. He sat, legs crossed, in the darkness. A moment alone, trying to collect his thoughts into something coherent and manageable to him.

Before him, Leia's body lay peacefully, covered by a clean, white sheet.

"I gotta tell you, I don't really know how to do this..." Poe croaked, his dark eyes swimming with a fresh set of tears. "What you did..."

Ever since the events following the Battle of Starkiller Base, his confidence was shaken. Despite having done more than enough to redeem himself, not only in the eyes of his friends but his superiors, he felt it wasn't enough. That he wasn't enough. He could never shake the fact that his leadership had got people killed – nearly wiped out the Resistance all together.

He knew he should have done better.

"I'm not ready."

"Neither were we."

Poe looked up, standing up straight as Lando joined him out of the shadows.

"Luke, Han, Leia, me... who's ever ready?"

"How'd you do it?" he asked. "Defeat an empire with almost nothing?"

Lando shrugged, smiling kindly. "We had each other. That's how we won."

Nova stepped out from behind him, going straight to Poe and pulling him into a tight embrace. She shut her eyes, letting him bury his face in her neck and grip the fabric of her shirt.

"Nova..." Poe couldn't shake a feeling of guilt. He knew exactly how she was feeling, having lived it himself when he was only eight years old. The all-consuming loss and sadness. And yet, here she was, comforting him.

"Don't worry about me," she mumbled against his shoulder.

He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. He went to argue, but Nova cut him off.

"I know..." she said. She cupped his face, brushing her thumbs across his cheeks, wiping away his stray tears.

Poe sighed, holding her hands against him. "I can't do this..."

"Yes, you can," she insisted. "Mom trusted you. We all do."

Her eyes bore into his, the intense emotions held within never wavering. "You don't have to do this alone, okay? I'm with you. Whatever you need."

"Nova, I can't ask that –"

"You're not asking me. I'm telling you."

He closed his eyes, pushing against her more for comfort. "I need you with me in this. By my side, leading."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

She nodded. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

He didn't think twice about kissing her, pulling her to him by her waist while her arms snaked around his neck. He didn't want to let her go, and knowing that she felt the same reassured him. Restored his hope.

The ring weighed heavy around his neck once more.

The moment passed, broken by an uncomfortable yet amused cough from Lando. "When you're ready."

The couple exchanged an embarrassed smile, taking a step apart from each other.

"General Dameron."

"General Organa."

Nova grimaced at the title. "Doesn't really work on me."

"Hmm," Poe hummed in agreement. "General Nova."

She smiled. "Better."


	57. Chapter 57

Finn strode across the cave, his pace quickening when he found the people he was looking for. "I gotta talk to you about something."

"I gotta talk to you about something," Poe cut in as they reached each other. "I can't do this alone. I need you in command with me."

"This droid has –" he caught himself, more than a little surprised by Poe's demand. "Thank you, I appreciate that."

"General."

"Generals." He looked between Poe and Nova, a small grin on his face – he didn't need to ask to know that he'd also appointed Nova – before returning to his original subject. "This droid has a ton of information about Exegol."

Nova raised an eyebrow, looking down at the green and white droid who was watching them like a curious baby bird.

"What? Cone-face?" Poe said incredulously.

"I am Dee-Oh!" he corrected; his robotic chirp as indignant as a droid could replicate.

"Sorry. Dee-Oh."

"He was going to Exegol with Ochi of Bestoon," Finn said.

Poe frowned. "Why was Ochi going there?"

"To bring a little girl he was supposed to take from Jakku to the Emperor. And he wanted her alive."

Nova frowned, realisation beginning to dawn on her. Everything she'd seen in the last fifteen hours – even the last year - suddenly added up in her mind. "Rey."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

D-O politely spun, allowing Nova to plug the cable into the back of his head.

Finn connected the other end to the monitor, and soon enough it was littered with red and green lights. "All the information you need for an airstrike on Exegol."

"Yeah, except how to get there," Poe said in disbelief. "Are you seeing these atmo readings?"

"It's a mess out there," Finn muttered. "Magnetic crossfields."

"Gravity wells, solar winds," Rose added.

"How does a fleet even take off from there?" Nova asked. "Better yet, how do we stand a chance of surviving through all that?"

"Terribly sorry." C-3PO shuffled up behind them, accompanied by R2-D2. "I'm afraid Artoo's memory bank must be crossed with his logic receptors."

"What makes you say that?" She knew better than to trust anything 3PO said about R2 on face value.

"He says he is receiving a transmission from Master Luke."

They were quickly able to get the transmission up onto the screen. There was no mistake about it. A ship and flight path were displayed.

"That's an old craft ID," Poe noted.

"Yeah, but I recognise it," Nova said. She clicked the controls, finding the ID stored deep within their systems. "That's Luke's X-Wing."

"It's transmitting course marker signals on its way to the Unknown Regions," C-3PO said.

Finn's eyes remained locked on the screen. "It's Rey."

BB-8 chirped inquiringly.

"She's going to Exegol. She's showing us. She's showing us how to get there."

"Then we go together," Poe said.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Resistance assembled beneath Leia's old blockade runner, Tantive IV. Pilots, soldiers, all manner of personnel crowded around the three generals, who made up the inner most circle, among a few others.

"As long as those Star Destroyers are on Exegol, we can hit 'em," Finn said.

"Hit 'em how?" Haken, a member of Nova's squadron, asked.

"They can't activate their shields until they reach atmosphere," Rose explained.

"Which isn't easy on Exegol," Poe said. "Ships that size need help taking off. Nav can't tell which way's up out there."

"So, how do they take off?" Bastila frowned.

"They use a signal from a navigation tower," Nova said, flicking on a holographic image of the tower in question. It looked like some sort of metallic flower – tall and rigid, with panels that opened out to look like petals.

"Except they won't," Finn said. "Air Team's gonna find the tower, Ground Team's gonna blast it."

Dorn, another member of Nova's squadron, raised an eyebrow. "Ground Team?"

"I have an idea for that," he assured him.

"Once the tower's down," Nova continued, "the fleet will be stuck in atmo for just minutes, with no shields, and no way out."

"We think hitting the cannons will ignite the main reactors," Rose said.

Lando smirked. "That's our chance.

"We need to pull some 'Holdo Manoeuvres'," Beaumont piped up. "Do some real damage."

"No!" Nova snapped, her voice rising a little in alarm. "That's too high a price to pay."

The image of the Raddus smashing through Snoke's ship in a blur of white light flashed across her memory. Her jaw and fists clenched.

"Nova's right," Finn said. "That move is one in a million. Fighters and freighters can take out the cannons if there are enough of us."

"But, there aren't enough of us," Haken said.

"He's right," Connix added despairingly. "We'd be no more than bugs to them."

"That's where Lando and Chewie come in," Nova said.

Finn continued to elaborate for her. "They'll take the Falcon to the Core Systems. Send out a call for help to anybody listening."

"We've got friends out there," Poe said. "They'll come if they know there's hope."

Scepticism rose from the gathering like smoke, whispers and murmurs of uncertainty buzzing around the cave.

"They will," he insisted. "The First Order wins by making us think we're alone. We're not alone. Good people will fight if we lead them."

"Leia never gave up," Finn said. "And neither will we. We're gonna show them we're not afraid."

"What our mothers and fathers fought for, we will not let die. Not today. Today we make our last stand. For the galaxy. For Leia."

He glanced to Nova, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.

"For everyone we've lost," she said, her eyes burning with a fiery conviction.

Finn too held that conviction. "They've taken enough of us. Now we take the war to them."

They looked around the crowd, seeing the hope beginning to build in their minds and hearts.

Nova held her head up, giving a firm nod. "May the Force be with us."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova fumbled with the zip of her flight suit, pulling it up to secure the thick, orange material across her chest. She paused before pulling it up to her chin, her free hand ghosting over the metal of her necklace before allowing it to be concealed.

She perched herself on the edge of the bed to fasten her boots. Her fingers ached as she tugged the laces tight, tying them into neat looking bows.

Adjusting her collar with one hand and pulling her hair up into a ponytail with the other, she moved to the 'fresher in search of a hair tie. The feeling of hair cascading down her back had grown far too distracting for her liking. If she was going to be flying her most dangerous and possibly final mission, she couldn't afford a distraction.

She pulled a drawer open, retrieving a hair tie and began the process of wrapping it around her brown locks, when her eyes caught sight of something else.

Her movements slowed as she looked up, taking in her reflection. She chewed the inside of her cheek, considering the option.

The hair tie was pulled down to act as a marker.

Taking the scissors from the drawer, she opened them to place around her hair.

She looked herself in the eyes through the mirror, momentarily narrowing her gaze.

The scissors closed.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kyber Squadron were already assembled underneath the wing of Nova's X-Wing when she made it out to the landing area, fastening her flight vest atop her suit.

Viado's blue hair shimmered in the sunlight like stars on a lake.

The Kyral siblings – Lel and Dorn – stood at the back, arms folded across their chests in an almost identical manner.

Dorn's sleeves were pushed up, showing off the metal of his robotic hand.

Lel would glance to Bastila every now and then, her brown eyes holding a certain desperation.

Thessa, the youngest of the bunch, was trying to stop her leg from bouncing.

BB-6 rested by her ankles, having become less Nova's personal droid and more the squadron's at large.

Haken was running a hand through his dark hair, glancing around his comrades.

They all rose when Nova reached them, but quickly returned to how they were when she dismissed the act – she had never been one for those sorts of customs.

She looked between them, offering a respectful nod before speaking. "You can all imagine what we're heading into. This could very easily be our final mission." She sighed, smiling softly before continuing. "You're all among the finest pilots we've got, and it's been an honour to serve with every single one of you. But, we simply don't have the resources for all of you to fly this time. And I need the best of the best up there if we all want to get home."

The pilots nodded gravely.

"General Dameron has permitted us to use three of the X-Wings we have available, and I have chosen the pilots. So, Dorn, Haken, Thessa. You will be reporting to General Finn. Please do so now."

The two men and one woman stood, nodding to her and saluting as they passed.

Dorn clapped a hand on her shoulder, leaning in closer to her. "Be careful."

She smirked. "As long as you are." She glanced to his sister, then back to him. "I'll look after her."

"Thank you."

She nodded, turning back to the remaining women.

They all wore the same serious expression, feeling the responsibility weighing on their shoulders.

Nova sighed. "Don't get cocky out there. You might be the best, but I have no idea what exactly we're flying into. Keep your heads smart, and in your cockpits." She bit the inside of her cheek. "Look out for each other up there. I want to get you all home."

"Yes, General."

"If anyone has anything they want to say before we go, now is the time." She subtly eyed Bastila, who dropped her gaze to the floor.

"I love the haircut," Viado said, nodding to Nova's hair that now barely reached her shoulders.

She couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Vi. Now, to your ships."

The women stood, exchanging any final looks before heading off to their fighters.

She huffed, trying to shake any tension out of her body.

BB-6 beep and whirred, rolling over to her.

"You ready for this buddy?"

He beeped hesitantly.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Me too..."

She had accepted her helmet and gloves; one foot placed on the ladder when she felt someone watching her. She turned, dropping her things before running as fast as her injured knee allowed her, throwing herself into Poe's arms.

He caught her, holding her against him. One arm was wrapped around her waist while the other was around her shoulders.

"I like this," he said, running his fingers through her hair.

"Thanks," she sniffed. She could feel herself starting to shake.

Poe too had noticed. "You okay?"

She shook her head, looking up at him. "When I joined this war, I could almost picture this moment. It was much easier then, but..."

But then she fell in love. She was given a reason for living past the war.

She had everything to lose.

She gripped the front of Poe's flight suit, trying to choke back her tears. "Look, I couldn't lose you when we were just friends, I sure as hell can't lose you now as the love of my life!"

She was almost hysterical.

Poe pulled her back to him, letting her bury her face in his neck. "You're not going to. Okay?" He rubbed her back, trying to calm her at least a little. "We're going to get through this. I promise."

"You can't promise that."

He guided her to look him in the eyes, cupping her face in his hands.

Nova leaned into his touch, desperate to memorise everything about him.

"Yes, I can." He leaned in and kissed her deeply. Desperately. Trying to convey exactly how much she meant to him through that one action alone.

His left hand gripped her waist.

His right hand dipped into his pocket, retrieving something before pulling her left arm from around his neck. Carefully, he opened her hand, placing the object in it before closing her fingers around it.

Nova broke the kiss, glancing to her hand with watery eyes.

"Tell me when we get back," Poe murmured, kissing her one last time. Then he was gone, running off towards his own X-Wing.

Nova opened her hand, letting out a quiet gasp when she saw what she was holding.

The ring Poe always wore around his neck – his mother's wedding ring – now rested in her palm. There was only one reason he would ever take it off.

She felt a tear fall onto her cheek, quickly swiping it away with her free hand. But it wasn't out of despair, but joy. It felt almost inappropriate, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"Yes..." she whispered, closing her hand around the ring once more.


	58. Chapter 58

Silence reigned over the comms on the journey to Exegol.

No one dared to crack a joke, pass a comment, or even breathe too loudly for fear it would upset their already pitiful odds of winning.

The cockpits of the fighters felt smaller than ever; each one thick with the smell of anxiety, mixed with the common scent each pilot possessed, whether it was from their shampoo or cologne.

Getting through to Exegol itself was no easy task. The space surrounding it in any direction was filled with clouds of stardust and red gas – clouds which contained the remains of various megafauna, causing them to look similar to caves. It could almost be considered beautiful if it wasn't for the danger and navigation difficulties it caused.

Nova would wince and groan with every shake of her ship. The red light that surrounded them felt like it was trying to swallow them.

BB-6 too seemed ill at ease, frantically running a system check every time they brushed too close to something or shook in a particularly violent fashion.

"I know it's a rough ride," Poe said. "But stay locked on Rey's course."

Nova checked her readings, chewing her cheek as they neared the point where they were safe to jump to lightspeed.

The white and blue light of hyperspace had barely surrounded her before she had to drop back out, arriving in Exegol's atmosphere at the head of the fleet.

Everything went cold and her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw what they were up against. She didn't even want to imagine how many Star Destroyers made up the Final Order's fleet.

"Look at that fleet..." Poe said, voicing what was undeniably everyone's only thought.

The First Order didn't give them much time to marvel at their accomplishments, choosing instead to take the moment handed to them. The destroyers opened fire, forcing the Resistance to scramble and scatter.

"Damn it!" Nova cursed, swerving to avoid the exploding B-Wing beside her.

"Welcome to Exegol!" Poe commented dryly.

The couple dived together, their ships spinning in sync with one another. The black and green paintwork of Nova's posed a stark contrast to Poe's orange and white.

"Watch your starboard, Wexley!" Lel warned, only narrowly avoiding the threat of an A-Wing being thrown off course herself.

Snap and Bastila flanked Nova as she continued to dive.

"Get to their altitude!" she ordered. "They can't fire on us without hitting each other!"

"Copy that, General!"

"Don't give up! Help is coming!" Poe said.

Nova chewed the inside of her cheek, trying to keep the doubt in the back of her mind from clouding her responses and reflexes.

The fleet continued their dive, drawing closer and closer to the surface.

Large forks of lighting occasionally split the darkness, flashing white and hot across their vision. Each one seemed to scream into existence. And each one faded just as quickly as it had appeared.

A chill ran down Nova's spine every time one hit. It took all her effort to not swerve and stray from her course. She couldn't shake the feeling of dread that came with them.

She'd seen them before – they'd haunted every single one of her nightmares. Her visions.

Everything was starting to become clearer.

The stage was set. All that remained was for the players to take their places.

"I've got a visual on the tower," Finn informed them.

The navigation tower came into view as they cleared the destroyers, continually avoiding the barrage of green lasers.

Soon enough, like a swarm of bugs from every ship, came the fighters.

"Incoming TIEs," Snap said.

"I see 'em," Poe responded.

The Resistance fighters broke from their dive to engage the TIEs.

Within moments, Nova had taken out two, flying her ship through the flames to take out a third. She spotted a few fighters targeting the troop carrier – now left heavily unguarded. "Vi. Lel. Fall back to protect the carrier!"

"Already on it!" Viado reported, swooping past her from above.

Nova looped back up, having spotted Bastila being trailed by a few too many fighters.

They were barely in range of the tower when it powered down – closing up like a flower and going dark.

"The navigation tower's been deactivated," Lel said.

"What?" Finn replied sharply.

"The ships need that signal," Snap said. "It's gotta be coming from somewhere."

"They've figured out what we're doing," Poe realised. "Call off the ground invasion."

Nova felt her throat tighten with panic. Everything was riding on it. Her fingers curled tighter around the steering yoke, pressing the metal of the ring into her finger, hidden beneath her glove. The sensation only made her feel more ill-at-ease. The stakes couldn't be any higher for her personally.

"The nav signal's coming from that command ship. That's our drop zone." Finn said.

Nova frowned, angling herself to get a better view of the ship in question – larger and already higher up than the others.

"You want to launch a ground invasion on a star destroyer?" Viado asked, sounding simultaneously concerned and impressed.

"I don't want to, but we can't take out that ship's nav system from the air," he said. "Give us cover. We gotta keep that fleet there until help arrives."

'We hope,' Nova thought.

"You heard the General," Poe said. "All wings, cover that lander!"

The fleet reassembled around the troop carrier, guiding it into land on the destroyer, then breaking off again to engage the TIE fighters.

Poe and Nova briefly pulled up beside one another, passing the rear of one of the destroyers. They had cleared it by a second when it – along with every other in the fleet – lit up blue.

"Those thrusters are hot. How we doin'?" the former asked.

"We're gonna blow our way in and take out the tower," Finn said, no doubt yelling to hear himself over the explosions and engines.

Nova instinctively ducked as a fighter was blown to pieces above her head. "You might want to pick up the pace!"

There was a brief silence over the comms, filled only with heavy breathing or static as a channel went dead.

Finn ended it. "There it goes!"

Poe skimmed the top of the destroyer. "Nice one, Finn! Nav signal's down, but not for long!"

"Still no Falcon or backup," Snap said worriedly.

Again, Nova bit the inside of her cheek, grimacing at the metallic taste it produced.

R2-D2 whirred anxiously from the droid socket of Poe's ship.

"I don't know, Artoo," he muttered. "Maybe nobody else is coming."

"What do we do, General?" Lel asked.

Poe sighed, feeling his stomach start to sink – weighed down with anxiety and the reality that perhaps they truly were on their own in the fight. "We gotta hit 'em ourselves."

"What can we do against these things?" Bastila said, horrified.

"Just stay alive!"

They were swarmed by TIE fighters again before they could get close to the cannons.

Ships were being blown apart on both sides. The comms were filled with frantic commands and warnings, often followed by the static of those who had been too slow or unable to react. Red and orange flames illuminated the otherwise blue faces of the pilots, highlighting them as they grew increasingly distraught.

Nova had just sent a trio of fighters crashing into the side of a destroyer when she felt it. A presence she hadn't felt since her days as a padawan. She'd trained beside it, grown to resent it, felt it slip further and further away into darkness, never to be the same again.

An enemy fighter had broken off from the pack, heading down towards the surface, piloted by her brother. Ben Solo.

She too broke off from the fight, trailing the TIE, escorting it even, until he was safely to the surface. As she pulled off back to the fight, the vision flashed across her mind again.

The lightning. The darkness. The death.

She knew exactly who it was about.

Her heart was heavy, but ultimately there was nothing she could do. Nothing she wanted to do. If it was the way of the force, who was she to argue with it?

Her black and green X-Wing shook as it took a blast to its rear, setting off a series of beeping lights and blaring alarms, drawing her back to the moment.

"Beebee-Six, see what you can do with it!"

The blue and white droid beeped a nervous reply.

"I'm trying!" she hissed back, shielding her eyes from as her control panel sparked.

"What do you mean you're trying?" Poe demanded, swooping down behind her to take out another TIE.

"You have bigger things to worry about," she retorted effortlessly.

"This is not the time to tell me what to worry about, sweetheart."

"General..." her tone was calm and commanding – almost impossible to argue with. "Trust me."

He gritted his teeth and sighed. "Yes, General."

She ran a gloved hand over the portion of her face that wasn't blocked by her helmet.

Hope was starting to rapidly fade.

"Vi, watch yourself!"

Viado's X-Wing was already producing a trail of smoke. "It's okay, I got it!"

"Vi, break off! They're all over you!"

"I got –!" Her ship was engulfed by flames before she could finish. All that was left was static.

Nova punched her ship into a breakneck turn to avoid the debris, shooting down the TIEs before they even knew what had hit them.

Pilots were starting to drop off faster and faster. It seemed that even the best of the best were no threat to the Final Order's forces. They were hopelessly outmatched in every way.

For every ship they had, the Final Order had twenty or more.

Their lives were of no consequence. And the enemy had blood and resources to spare.

"Snap, they're on your tail!" Poe called out to his friend.

"Yeah, I see 'em!"

"No no no, Snap! Snap!"

Nova felt sick to her stomach as she was forced to watch Snap's X-Wing nosedive into the side of a star destroyer. He'd always been a true and supportive friend to her, despite not knowing everything about her. He'd been a founding member of the Resistance, sticking by her mother for so many years.

She couldn't have asked any more of him.

A single tear splashed onto the leather of her glove. She hadn't realised she'd started to cry.

Poe swallowed hard.

All around him, his fellow pilots, the people he was supposed to lead, were being blown apart.

Screams and static was all that could be heard. Everyone desperately seeking directions, seeking hope, before they met their end. Through it all, he was able to find Nova's voice – low and controlled – as she asked:

"Poe, what are we going to do?"

He sighed heavily, raising his head to address the Resistance. "My friends... I'm sorry. I thought we had a shot. There's just too many of them..."

Nova's heart ached and another tear slipped down her cheek.

She had never heard him so hopeless. Poe Dameron. The man who always had hope. Not just for himself or for her, but for everyone. The man who kept everyone fighting and believing in a better tomorrow, had lost all hope.

Maybe they had lost.

"But there are more of us, Poe." Lando's voice rang clear across the comms. "There are more of us."


	59. Chapter 59

The fleet was immense, stretching back as far as the eye could see, with more and more ships continuing to drop from hyperspace. It was made up of all kinds of craft – fighters, freighters, cruisers. Some new, some coming from older wars – likely pulled out of storage or heavily modified to still be functional.

The surrounding sky seemed to shine around the fleet – a brighter blue, brought on by the thousands of lights, breaking through the darkness.

The spark of hope, of resistance, had finally become the fire.

Nova's eyes became watery. Her mouth was agape, a gasp catching in her throat as she took it all in.

"Look at this..." Poe said, just as awestruck at the sight. "Look at this."

The Falcon swung into view, once more taking the lead.

Lando's laugher filled the comms channel – Nova could picture the signature smile on his face.

"Lando, you did it," Finn said. "You did it!"

Nova punched the canopy of her ship, letting out a small scream of relief and joy. Guiding her X-Wing back around, she joined her father's and fiancé's ships, leading the galaxy into battle, one last time. The black and metallic green livery gleamed despite the carbon scoring.

"Hit those underbelly cannons," Poe instructed. "Every one we knock out is a world saved."

They danced through fresh assault of lasers – a threat that now seemed more like a minor inconvenience.

Nova broke off before reaching the first destroyer, taking a small selection of fighters with her to cover those who went for the cannon. Together they blew through the TIEs; the flames momentarily lighting up their faces before falling to the surface – condemned to a dark grave.

The first Star Destroyer's cannon exploded in a cloud of black smoke and fire. It spread throughout its body, tearing it apart from the inside out. The metal cracked and broke, forced far past its limits, reduced to scrap in seconds.

The fighters and more manoeuvrable freighters continued their attack, moving from ship to ship, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake.

A Y-Wing moved to accompany Nova as she approached another Destroyer, assisting her in targeting and obliterating the next cannon. It earned a small and short-lived tail of fire as it passed through the explosion.

"So long, sky trash!" the pilot exclaimed triumphantly – her voice and the phrase were unmistakable.

Poe frowned. "Who's that flyer?" His tone was a mix of knowing and disbelief.

"Take a guess, spice runner!" Zorii undoubtably had a smile on her face as she pulled up beside her friend.

Nova's jaw clenched, eyes narrowing beneath the visor of her helmet. Zorii's presence, while a great thing for the battle, put a bad taste in her mouth, mixing with the faint taste of blood that had yet to leave.

"Ha!" Poe cheered. "Zorii. You made it!"

The battle at hand was a good outlet for the ill feelings she harboured towards the spice runner. It became strangely cathartic to take down TIEs, sending them spinning into an already burning destroyer.

The feeling of the ring around her finger kept her controlled and as calm as the high-stakes situation allowed.

Her hatred wasn't born out of jealously, there was no cause for that, but instead out of distrust – a feeling she was sure was mutual. Even if she wouldn't admit it, even to herself, they were on some level similar. Each knew how the other thought. The only difference was how they chose to act on said thoughts, and how they felt about it. Where Zorii was comfortable in her life choices and nefarious decisions, Nova was ashamed. A fact that meant that neither woman could entirely respect the other.

Bastila and Lel intercepted another squadron of TIEs while the Falcon lead the next attack on a destroyer.

Poe was flanked by what looked to be the surviving squadron of the Colossus – Kaz, Yeager and Torra.

Destroyers were falling in flames left and right.

The tide was starting to turn in favour of the Resistance. A fact that was sadly short-lived.

Then, from the surface, came the lightning.

Blue and vicious, it hit the heart of the battle and spread outwards, extending its arms out to grab anything it could reach. Any ship it touched was violently subdued.

Nova was forced to shield her eyes when she took the hit, sending her ship into a complete shutdown. The blaring of lights and warning sirens flooded her senses as she tried to get any of her systems to respond.

A blast to the rear of her fighter caused her stomach to lurch, almost to the point of being sick. BB-6 had taken most of the impact, leaving him fried beyond repair.

The TIE fighters were taking full advantage of their enemies being thrown into a freefall, taking them out while they were defenceless.

"Is anyone on comms?" She was met with silence.

The Ghost, a ship whose crew had sometimes crossed into bedtimes stories in her youth, fell past her, struggling to withstand the onslaught of power.

Above her, Tantive IV was torn apart in a blinding flash, joining many others.

Nova's eyes slowly moved to look through the front of the canopy. The surface was approaching, seemingly both fast and slow.

She wondered if she could survive the impact. And if she did, would it make any difference?

The nose of her X-Wing was moments away from scraping the dust of Exegol when the lightning faded into the dark, letting all her systems reboot.

She slammed the controls, pulling her ship up at the last possible second. A heavy sigh escaped her chest.

"We're back on!" Poe's voice came over the comms. "This is our last chance. We need to hit those cannons now."

"Is everyone okay?" Nova asked. "Bastila? Lel?"

"We lost Lel." Bastila's voice was watery and numb. "Her ship was blown apart..."

Nova's head feel back against her seat. Too many losses that she could only hope would not be in vain. "Bastila, I'm so –"

"It's... I don't want to think about it," she sighed. "I saw you took a hit. You all right?"

"I lost Beebee-Six, but I'm okay." She was ignoring the lone warning light still blinking at her.

Her shields took the heat as her and Poe took down another destroyer.

It didn't take long for them to regain the upper hand.

The deck of the command ship exploded in a violent burst of flames, and soon enough it was beginning its final descent, nose-first down to the surface.

"Their fleet is stuck here!" Poe yelled triumphantly. "They're toast! Come on!"

Relief began to filter into Nova's blood. It was a feeling she hadn't felt in so long, it was almost like a drug.

"Finn, you seein' this?"

"Finn and Jannah didn't board the lander," Rose informed gravely.

"What? They're still on the command ship?" Nova demanded, swinging back around for the lead destroyer – still falling fast.

"I see 'em," Poe said. The ship was almost in a fully vertical descent. "I'm going to get 'em."

"General, you can't make it!" Bastila warned.

"Trust me, I'm fast."

"Not as fast as this ship!" The Millennium Falcon swooped past him, headed straight for the destroyer. It pulled up alongside it momentarily, then left just as smoothly as it had arrived – with Finn and Jannah safely on board.

The command ship crumpled into the surface of Exegol in a mess of metal and flames.

There were no more TIE fighters left to be deployed. No more ion cannons left to fire. No way to counter the Resistance and civilian fleet.

No way out.

The First Order had lost.

Beneath the orange of her flight suit, Nova's hairs stood on end. Her heartbeat became steady, the heavy beat filling her ears. Accompanying it was her breathing – just as controlled. A sense of peace washed over her. But it wasn't her peace.

"Ben..."

Somewhere, far below the surface, her brother's life force faded into the light.

And suddenly, surprisingly, she felt alone.

The last of her family. A family that had lived through the most terrible wars. A family that had been broken and remade – fallen into darkness but risen back to the light.

The Skywalkers. Legends of the galaxy.

A single tear rolled down her cheek, and she was left to question: why her.

A new day was preparing to rise through the rubble and smoke. The last of the Star Destroyers fell, taking the evil and darkness with it. Years of fear and oppression finally ended.

A single X-Wing rose from the surface to join the rest of the fleet. It was an older model – painted red and white, though it had certainly seen better days.

"There! Look!" Finn called. "Red Five is in the air. Rey's alive!"

"I see her." Poe smiled, pulling his helmet off to reveal his tousled hair.

"People are rising up all over the galaxy," Finn said. "We did it."

"We did it."

Nova reached underneath her flight suit, feeling for her necklace with now ungloved fingers. The metal felt rough and comforting. "We can go home..."

The trio of X-Wings flanked the Falcon, joining the others to prepare for the journey back to Ajan Kloss.


	60. Chapter 60

Many ships had already touched down by the time Nova was able to land her own X-Wing. Each one was like a graceful, beautifully coloured bird. The whirr and gentle wind created by their engines like the beating of wings as they descended amongst the trees.

Nova's gloves, helmet and flight vest lay discarded on her seat.

She had foregone the ladder, instead swinging herself over the side of her ship and onto the ground. Her flight suit was loosely tied around her hips, showing off her simple black tank top. Her hair, already messy from being kept beneath a helmet, had reacted to the humid air – both gaining volume and sticking to what it could reach of her face.

Bastila and Dorn stood a little way off, wearing matching mournful expressions.

"I am, so, so, sorry," Nova said as she reached them.

Dorn hung his head, a dejected sigh slipping past his lips. "No one's blaming you, General. And you shouldn't either."

"Yeah..." She ran her hand through Bastila's hair, letting the younger woman cry on her shoulder. 

"We won," he said. "She'd think it was worth it. Vi too."

"We don't have to think like that anymore."

His blue eyes became steely. His hands rested in his pockets, gripping the fabric. "Some of us still do."

Nova paused for a second, then nodded.

Everyone had to find their own way of grieving and moving forward.

Haken and Thessa soon joined them; the latter throwing herself into the hug between her two superiors. The former had read the situation far better, giving Dorn a comforting clap on the shoulder.

Bastila pulled away from the younger woman, retreating into Nova's side before the boys were able to free her from the situation. From there she was comfortably held against Dorn, continuing to cry.

Nova gave Thessa a brisk squeeze before she too pried herself free from the hug. She found an escape when she saw Rose assisting an injured Connix off the troop lander; jogging away from her squadron to help.

"What happened to you?" she asked upon reaching them, adjusting Connix's arm across her shoulders.

"Red trooper got me in the shin," she grumbled.

Nova glanced down at the wound, noticing the offending black burn on tan trousers. "Doesn't look too bad."

The Lieutenant glared at her as she was set down on a pile of crates. If Nova wasn't so far above her in rank, she most likely could have hit her for the comment. Of course, she knew the woman was joking, but the pain was still dampening her self-restraint.

The brunette smirked gently, aware that she did deserve at least soft punch to the arm.

Rose ushered over a medic to attend to her friend before pulling Nova into a hug, taking her quite by surprise.

She hugged her back tightly, doing her best not to topple forwards as Rose pulled her down to her own height. She was able to laugh it off – Rose's joy was rather infectious to her.

The pair released each other soon after, feeling the heat starting to get to them. Neither woman was from a particularly warm planet, and so were more susceptible to getting sweaty quickly.

Rose darted off towards Chewie, letting the Wookiee catch her and pick her up when she reached him.

Nova turned back to a now bandaged Connix. She held her hand out to her, pulling her up to stand again. Keeping a steady hold on her, she led her over to the rest of the group, having spotted Beaumont joining them from another direction.

"I meant to say thank you," she said quietly, glancing at the younger woman. "For looking after my mom when I had to be away on missions."

Connix smiled. "It's okay. She... she was like a mother to me, really."

"I think she was to everyone in the Resistance."

The blonde nodded, giving the General a quick but heartfelt hug.

After passing Connix off to her friends, Nova turned back to survey the growing crowd once more.

People from all manner of worlds could be found filling the space between ships. It was difficult to discern faces, with most people being congregated in large groups. Those in smaller groups tended to be closer together, hiding their faces – most likely trying to grieve as privately as they could.

The crew of the Ghost, much changed since the days of the Galactic Civil War, were beginning to mingle with the crowd, finding old allies to share stories with.

Kaz and Yeager both offered Nova a friendly salute from where they stood, happy to keep to themselves and take a breather.

Nova nodded respectfully, returning the gesture.

From behind her, Chewie growled softly.

She turned to face the Wookiee, grinning as she was lifted off her feet in a hug. She was mostly apposed to being picked up in any way, but for Chewie, she could always make an exception.

Chewie had always been very protective of both of Han and Leia's children, but particularly Nova. In her earlier years she had been very timid, often seeking refuge with him to feel safe. And while she had outgrown those tendencies, both with age and circumstance, he would always remember that version of her, and always protect her if he could.

Nova smiled as she was set back down on the ground. Tears were beginning to prick at her eyes, but she was content to let them linger. For perhaps the first time in her life, they were not born out of pain or sorrow.

"Hey, kid." Lando appeared beside her, welcoming her with open arms. "This goes without saying, but," he gave her a comforting squeeze, "your mom and dad would be so proud of you."

She sniffed quietly, letting the first tear fall. "I know..."

"It's all over now..."

"Yeah..."

Looking over her shoulder, Lando smiled knowingly at the people he saw. He tapped his niece's shoulder, nodding in their direction. "I think those two want to see you."

Her breath caught in her throat as she turned, her eyes falling upon her Co-Generals. Both looked equally happy, if a little worse for wear.

She covered the distance between them quickly, wrapping her arms around Poe's neck as soon as she was in range. Any concerns about herself were thrown out the window as she held him, the tears falling freely.

His unbandaged arm snaked around her waist, and he buried his face in her neck. He didn't care that she was sweaty and looked a mess. He never cared. All that mattered to him was that she was there, in his arms.

They had won. Together. Like he always said they would.

"So, I'm the love of your life, huh?" he chuckled, leaning back to look at her.

"Shut up," she murmured, closing the space between them once more, this time with a kiss. Her hands cupped his cheeks. She wanted so desperately to memorise the feeling of his lips on hers all over again. The softness mixed with the roughness of his stubble. The way his tongue would ask for entrance, and the way he'd growl if she playfully denied him. Everything.

Poe reached for her hand, holding it against his face. He felt it – the ring around her finger.

He faltered, pulling back to find her smiling through her tears.

"Okay," he said softly. "Can I ask you properly now?"

Nova giggled. "Yes."

He kept a firm hold on her hand as he sunk down to one knee. His dark eyes held a multitude of emotions, love being the most prevalent, as he looked up at her. All he saw, all he wanted to see, was her. "Nova, will you marry me?"

"Yes."

He stood, helping her dry her tears before planting another, loving kiss to her lips. "It really suits you."

"Oh, I'm definitely keeping it then."

"Good."

Finn coughed quietly. "Uh... yeah, guys, I'm still here." He looked at the ground, feeling a little awkward, though it was apparent he was trying to hold back a wide grin.

"Sorry, Finn." Nova pulled him into a hug which he happily reciprocated.

"Don't be! I'm kidding!" he laughed, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Congratulations, you two."

"Thanks, buddy," Poe said.

"You really deserve each other."

Nova took a step back, raising an eyebrow at her friend.

Finn was doing his best to look innocent.

Neither one of them was able to keep up those expressions for long however, breaking out into laughter seconds later.

"You know what I mean!"

"Yeah, yeah." Poe rolled his eyes, pulling his fiancée back to his side.

Looking up, Nova saw an older, battered X-Wing coming into land not far from her own. The colouring of the ship was unmistakable – the markings of a ship from the old rebellion.

Finn glanced to her hopefully, and she nodded.

They kept close to one another, weaving through the crowd; careful arms looped around waists or shoulders.

People were very accommodating, giving them room to pass. Some giving them congratulatory pats on the back if they were close enough.

Then, they found each other.

Rey stood before them, beaten and bruised, but alive. Her clothes, once clean and white, were much more reminiscent of what she'd worn when she was pulled into this adventure – worn and torn. Dirt covered her fair skin, joined by some small cuts and the red they'd leaked.

She paused when she saw them. A small gasp caught in her throat, tears creeping to the corners of her eyes. Then, a relieved smile.

The trio stepped towards her, pulling to them in a tight hug.

She was held between Finn and Nova, burying her face in the former's shoulder. Her tears getting caught by his shirt sleeve or the leather of his vest.

Poe gripped her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. They might have their differences and frequent disagreements, but they were petty and unimportant in the grand scheme of things. They had won together.

Nova and Finn held each other's wrists tightly.

Nova's free arm remained around Poe's waist, and her head lay against his shoulder.

He rested his head atop hers, breathing in the soft scent of wildflowers that clung to her hair.

And there they stayed. Wrapped in each other's arms as the Resistance continued to celebrate around them.

No words needed to be said. Words couldn't be found to explain the complexity of the emotions coursing through them.

They all knew. They could all feel it.

Because they were closer than friends.

They were family; thrown together by chance, circumstance, and perhaps the only certain choices they had been able to make in the darkness. But none the less real.

They were no longer alone.


	61. Chapter 61

"This victory doesn't just belong to us, but also to those we lost. Those who gave their lives for others because they believed in a better future. Well, look around. Their sacrifices were not in vain."

Nova was stood atop a pile of crates, allowing her to look out across the Resistance.

Dusk was starting to creep in, covering the cave in dancing shadows. In the hours between their return and the start of the celebrations, supplies and screens had been moved to the side in favour of tables and lights, giving off a far more welcoming atmosphere. It wasn't much, but that didn't matter.

They had drinks and each other. That was more than many of them could have asked for before going off to Exegol, knowing it could have been their doom.

"I would suggest we have a moment of silence, but that's the last thing anyone – least of all my mom – would stand for at a party."

A small chuckle went around the cave, mostly from those who had had the pleasure of knowing Leia over the years.

"This is not the time for tears. So instead, let's honour the fallen with our stories, our songs, and our laughter. Let's enjoy this night. We've earned it."

Amidst the cheers of her comrades, Nova stepped down from the crates, one hand held by Poe to keep her steady. Heart beating near out of control, she sighed quietly. Her nerves were a little shaky.

Public speaking had never been a forte of hers. Despite her mother trying to instil some practise of it in her, it had never stuck. Years in exile and isolation had done nothing to help.

But it was now her place. She just had to grin and bear it for one night.

She thanked Finn as he handed her a drink, enjoying the burn it inflicted on her throat. Her eyes glared daggers at him and her fiancé, who despite their best efforts to conceal it, were chuckling.

"Shut up, you two," Rey hissed, wrapping an arm around her friend to lead her away.

Nova took another sip of her drink.

"You okay?"

She nodded, somewhat dismissively. "Fine, yeah..."

Rey watched her silently, reading her expression like an open book.

Nova shifted under her stare before relenting. "It's just, harder than I thought... you know?"

She wasn't sure what she meant. She could never expect Rey to fully understand the emotions building in her heart. The feeling that came with that sort of bond being broken.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," she shrugged. "Besides. We won. This is what she would have wanted."

Rey opened her mouth to speak but Nova cut her off.

"I really don't want to think about Ben. I know there was something... complicated... with you two that I'll never understand. But, he really hurt me."

Some scars would never heal. For her or for Poe.

"You need time," Rey said.

Nova sighed, considering her drink. "Right now, I don't know what I need. Can we drop it?"

"Of course." Her gaze dropped to the floor, seemingly examining her boots as they scuffed at the dirt.

"What is it?"

"I don't know," she murmured. "I just – I still feel lost. I got the answers I was looking for, but..." she trailed off.

"Not what you wanted?"

She shook her head.

"You know," Nova said gently, "bloodlines aren't nearly as important to who you are as everyone makes them out to be."

Rey looked to her, a light frown on her face.

"I mean, my mom was the daughter of Darth Vader, but that had no baring on if she was a good person or not. I think we're defined by the choices we make, not by the choices of our ancestors." She took another sip of her drink. "So, who do you choose to be?"

She looked to her, almost shyly. "I don't know..."

"Sorry, didn't mean to put you on the spot," she chuckled, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Just, think about it. Okay?"

"I will."

They looked up as their names were called, finding Finn beckoning them over to join him, Rose and Jannah.

"Coming?" Rey asked.

"I'll catch up," Nova said. She'd barely had a moment to herself since leaving her cockpit. And while a party was hardly the best place to get a moment of peace, she endeavoured to steal at least a few seconds.

Her free hand idly toyed with the sleeve of her tunic.

Her outfit was more formal than she was used to. A midnight blue, long sleeved tunic, paired with plain black trousers and matching black boots – her least scuffed pair. The white surcoat, an item that had previously belonged to Leia, gave the look a certain femininity that she was unused to.

She still couldn't shake the need for function over beauty, but was content with the compromise her ensemble had struck.

A hard glare set in her eyes when her solitude was interrupted.

"I'm not here to start something." Zorii stood beside her, arms crossed, looking straight ahead.

"That's a first," Nova muttered, sparing her a glance. Her lips closed around the brim of her glass; her throat welcomed the taste of Corellian whiskey.

Zorii chuckled, a soft but merciless sound. "I just wanted to say well done. And... congratulations on the engagement."

"Thanks. I'm... sorry about Kijimi."

"Thanks." She stalked off back into the crowd, as silently as she'd come.

Nova watched her go, a pensive expression on her face.

"What was that about?" Poe asked as he reached her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Sighing softly, she let her head fall to rest against his shoulder. "Doesn't matter."

He frowned. "Don't tell me you and Zorii..."

"No!" She smacked his arm, rolling her eyes. "I don't even know if she's really my type. Besides, I'm not into the whole mask thing. I like to be able to read my partner. Call it a comfort."

"Yeah, I never really trusted her either," he admitted.

"Smart. I never worked with her, but I certainly knew of her."

"And she knew of you."

Nova glared at him, exhaling sharply.

"Sorry." He pulled her closer again. "Wanna talk about something else?"

"Please."

"Poe!"

At the sound of his name, the pilot turned, drawing Nova with him.

Lando was approaching them, though he had not been the one to catch their attention. Accompanying him were two others – both men, and close in age to him.

Nova was able to identify the first as Wedge Antilles, the famed rebel pilot turned instructor. She was sure they must have met once when she was very little, but could not recall clearly. Of course, they had become more recently acquainted after Crait when he was pulled from retirement alongside his wife - Snap's mother Norra Wexley. They had even worked together on a mission to Corellia. His features were worn with the years he'd seen, his hair an almost white shade of grey.

The other was unknown to her, but from his appearance alone Nova could make an educated guess. Tan skin, dark brown eyes, dark grey hair that looked to have been black, and kind features. He had been the one to call Poe's name.

"Dad?" Poe said, his look of disbelief melting away into a smile.

"Hey, kid."

Nova watched as the pair embraced, a soft but bright smile on her face. Perhaps she was a little wistful. Wishing she could go back to when she had found her own father again and be honest from the start. But ultimately, she knew what was done is done. Now was no time to be resentful.

Poe's arm returned to her shoulders a moment later. "Nova, this is my dad, Kes Dameron. Dad, this is my fiancée, Nova Organa." His voice held an undeniable sense of pride as he looked between his loved ones.

Nova felt her cheeks heat up at the title, accepting the hand Kes offered her to shake. "It's great to finally meet you."

Kes smiled warmly, clasping her hand. "Pleasure's all mine. You been keepin' my son in check?"

She giggled; the comment having elicited a quiet groan from Poe. "Among other things."

"All right," Poe sighed, planting a kiss to her temple.

His father looked between them, a hint of recognition flickering across his face. "Well, Nova, I trust that you have a good head on your shoulders. And you make my son happy."

"Oh, she does."

"Well then, I've got no complaints. Congratulations."

"Thank you." Nova smiled.

"A pilot and a senator's daughter," Wedge said. "Where have I seen that before?"

Lando and Kes chuckled knowingly, while the couple in question rolled their eyes. It wasn't the first time that comparison had been made. Even Leia herself had drawn it once.

"So, now that this is all over, what's next?" Lando asked.

"It's not quite over. There's undoubtably still splinter cells of the First Order that –" she cut herself off when Poe nudged her, giving her a look that reminded her of the agreement. The agreement not to bring up the remaining, if minor, Resistance business still to be completed.

Smiling apologetically, she tapped her index finger against her glass. "I don't know. I never really let myself think about that."

Kes nodded, and the pair shared a look of mutual understanding.

"Right now, I'm just happy that we're alive, and that we're together," Poe said, squeezing Nova's shoulder.

Again, she rolled her eyes, and a blush rose to her cheeks. "Me too."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dusk had turned to evening. The canvas of the sky was painted with a blend of pinks and blues and oranges. The sun had disappeared behind the trees, and the first few stars were shining through.

A trio of X-Wings streaked through the fading colours, leaving a trail of fireworks to explode in their wake.

Showers of red, yellow, white, blue and green. They burst to life, reaching down to touch the tops of the trees, but would dwindle out without making contact.

Nova watched each one unfold above her, a contented smile on her lips. Perched on the wing of her ship, she let her legs dangle over the edge, occasionally swinging back and forth. Her arms stretched out behind her, keeping her upright as she watched the sky.

The sounds of celebration filtered out from the caves, providing a comforting backdrop.

She sat up straight when she heard someone approaching, glancing down to see who had disturbed her.

"Oh, it's just you," she sighed, relaxing again.

"I love you too," Poe chuckled. "Can I come up?"

"Yeah, just be careful with your arm."

"It's fine," he dismissed, beginning the climb.

"Babe, you were shot."

"The sling was excessive. It's not as bad as everyone's saying."

"Medics?"

"Well, none of them have jumped me for not wearing it. Only person complaining is you."

"Because I'm your fiancée and I'm worried."

"Aww, you're worried about me?" Again, he chuckled. Having reached the top of the ladder, he manoeuvred himself onto the wing beside her.

"You're an idiot," she murmured, returning her gaze to the sky. A feeling of peace had crept into her heart, unlike any she'd felt before. War hadn't allowed much time for peace, only a grim purpose.

Trading one for the other would take some getting used to.

Poe laid down beside her, resting his head in her lap. His dark eyes glanced over the sky, the stars, before moving to the place he really wanted to look.

His lips curled into a soft, loving smile as he watched Nova watch the sky.

It warmed his heart to finally see her so relaxed. So happy and content. He didn't know it was possible for him to fall further in love with her, yet there he was, doing just that.

The light danced across her face, illuminating her features. Every ghost of a cut or fading bruise. Her absentminded smile. Her eyes, sparkling with a gentle joy.

Looking down at him, her eyebrows drew together in a frown. "A sky full of stars, and you're looking at me?"

"You're all I want to see," he answered.

"Kriff," she said under her breath in disbelief, trying not to laugh.

Poe chuckled. "Not my best, I know."

Nova giggled. The comment had still managed to make her blush. She sought a distraction, weaving her fingers into Poe's hair, an action that was met with a contented sigh and his eyes fluttering closed.

A short silence followed.

Memories of the past year began to resurface. The quieter, perhaps insignificant moments between the chaos: friendly competitions, stolen moments on missions, waking up beside one another – followed by complaints of not wanting to get up.

Her return to base from Jakku.

"You never told me," she murmured thoughtfully. Almost as if she hadn't meant for that thread to be spoken.

"Hmm?" Poe hummed.

"After Jakku, you asked me what I'd do when this was over. You never told me what you'd do."

He paused, considering his answer. "I'd be with you. We'd move to a peaceful planet or moon, somewhere out of the way. Find a way to keep flying and have adventures, cause let's face it, we both need that. Maybe have a kid one day..."

"You've had all that planned since last year?" she inquired with a quirked brow.

"It's been subject to change," he admitted. "But it always included you."

Nova smiled. Of course, she shouldn't have expected any less.

"We're gonna clean up the rest of the First Order." He reached up, brushing her hair back from her face. "We're gonna get married. And we're gonna be together."

Her face dropped into a thoughtful expression. Lips pressing together in a thin line. Eyebrows again drawn into a frown.

Poe sat up, inexplicably feeling his stomach drop. "What is it?"

"I was just thinking," she said. Her fingers fiddled with her surcoat. "Why don't we get married tonight?"

"What?"

"It's a new beginning for the galaxy. Why shouldn't it also be a new beginning for us?" Reaching for his hands, she took them in her own. She'd turned to face him fully, searching his eyes, hoping she wouldn't find that he wanted to back out.

Poe's face broke out into a smile. "I think I wanna marry you even more."

"So we're gonna do this?"

"Yes."


	62. Chapter 62

Words always seemed to travel like wildfire through the Resistance. The news of the wedding being no exception.

Soon enough, people were making good the preparations – setting up seating, lights, and the like. It was a rush job, but everyone involved was comforted by the knowledge that the bride and groom were going for a simple and understated look.

It was to be a small event, with only family and close friends in attendance. Fortunately, not too many people seemed to take issue with that. They were either too drunk, too tired to care, or had no idea who either person involved was.

Rose had taken it upon herself to oversee everything, with the assistance of C-3PO.

The droid was more than capable of completing this task alone. In fact, he was in his element, knowing exactly how everything must proceed according to correct protocol. But, his way of talking to and trying to organise people was not to be trusted, so Rose had stepped in to deal with that.

As soon as she had, she'd ushered Poe and Nova away to separate rooms, accompanied by Finn and Rey respectively.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nova leaned over the sink, carefully considering her appearance.

Her makeup was nothing special. A little more colour to her cheeks. A golden shimmer to her eyelids. Just enough to make a noticeable difference.

The brown waves of her hair had been tidied and tamed. Maz had stopped by a few minutes prior to deliver some flowers. A selection of which had been woven into Nova's hair – small buds of white and pale blue.

Rey leaned against the door; a white jumpsuit draped across her arms. "I've never been to a wedding before," she quietly mused.

"You're not missing much," Nova shrugged.

She hadn't attended many weddings, at least that she knew of. Either she'd been too young to remember them, or too preoccupied with Jedi training or being presumed dead to even be invited.

"All the same," Rey continued. "I'm glad my first gets to be yours."

"Hmm."

The last wedding she had attended, before everything went straight to hell, had been Snap and Karé's. In fact, she'd helped orchestrate the event.

She remembered the looks Poe had given her throughout. Glances filled with longing and hope.

"Nervous?" Rey asked, handing her the jumpsuit.

"Compared to everything we've done over the course of this war?" She held up the outfit, smiling softly. "A little."

It was unclear as to whether it was nerves or excitement. A guess could be made that it was in fact both. Of course, there was no reason to be nervous, but it was hardly something that could be controlled.

"It's going to be fine." Rey said. "Poe's an idiot, but he's got a heart of gold."

"I know."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I told you she'd say yes." Finn leaned against the wall; hands shoved into his pockets. An easy smirk on his lips.

Poe rolled his eyes. "I half expected you to say that as soon as she said it."

"I didn't want to kill the moment. Or your dignity."

"Thanks, man."

Pulling his tie looser, his dark eyes studied his reflection. His wardrobe was hardly extensive, leading to few alterations in his look. A fresh shirt, one better suited to be paired with a tie, being the only real change.

"Should I have shaved?" He wondered aloud, running a hand along his jaw.

Finn chuckled. "You are so nervous."

The distinctly unhelpful comment earned him a glare.

"No, you don't need to shave." He stood before Poe, reaching up to remove his tie. "You don't need the smart suit and tie." Placing the tie over the back of the nearby chair, he exchanged it for another item.

Poe's jacket. The one he'd worn as they fled the First Order after Starkiller Base.

Finn held it out to him. "Nova loves you. The scruffy, kind, loyal to a fault, best pilot in the Resistance. She wouldn't have said yes if she didn't."

Poe hesitated, turning his friend's word over in his mind.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Finn asked. "No one knows her like you."

Of course he was right.

Accepting the jacket, Poe slipped it on, turning back to check his reflection one last time. He looked more comfortable; like himself and not some cover for a mission.

Finn clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You ready?"

Poe nodded. "Definitely."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rey's fingers helped to guide the delicate zip, closing the jumpsuit just below Nova's shoulder blades.

The fabric felt fresh and smooth against her skin. The design was nothing remarkable – well fitted, somewhat low in the chest, thin straps over the shoulders. The only detailing came in the form of a scattering of embroidered, blue stars across the chest.

Her necklace was on full display, the chain of which fell nicely over her collarbones.

"Last time I looked this formal, I was pretending to be a criminal." She mused.

The night in Coronet City, the capital of Corellia, played over in her mind. Everything was so vivid. The smell of expensive perfume, cologne, and alcohol. The anxiety that came with mingling with the enemy. The rich atmosphere she had never loathed more.

"Poe and I ended up jumping off a balcony into a pool."

Poe hadn't been able to keep his eyes off her that night. Partly for fear of something going wrong, but also because of how exquisite she had looked.

Forced into a snug fitting, rich green dress, she had never looked less like herself. The disguise certainly did its job. She still had no idea how she'd managed to run while wearing it, let alone jump into a pool and swim up to the surface.

"Sounds like quite the date," Rey joked.

"I suppose it was. In a way."

They moved back into the bedroom, making any final preparations. 

Nova was ready – boots securely laced, bouquet on the desk within reach – and was in the process of placing a flower in Rey's hair when they were summoned.

Chewie stood in the doorway, letting out a soft growl.

The girls exchanged one last exited, if still a little nervous look.

Then, Rey was off ahead of them. Dark grey robes billowing behind her as she ran.

The Wookiee growled to Nova again, pulling her into a tight hug.

Being one of the only people left who resembled any kind of senior family, Nova had asked him to give her away. An honour he was more than happy to take on.

He offered her his paw, and together, they made their way back out to the open jungle.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sky was an inky blue. Cloudless and littered with a thousand stars. The moons were beginning their ascension over the trees.

The designated area had been beautifully decorated with strings of lights, hung between ships and trees. Benches had been placed in two columns, leaving an aisle, distinctly marked with leaves and petals. Poe's X-Wing marked the end of this, with the wing acting as an arch – in a broad sense. 

Beneath it stood Lando, Poe, Finn and Rey.

Lando stood in the middle, having been chosen to perform the ceremony. He was mandated to perform marriage ceremonies in at least three systems. Most people assumed him to be for tax reasons.

Assumptions he had never confirmed nor denied.

Finn was stood back from Poe, looking across to Rey over his shoulder. They were clearly having a conversation, conveyed only through eye movements and smirks.

Then, there was Poe. Striking a balance between confidence and nerves. He seemed to be chewing his lower lip anxiously, a sentiment that morphed to adoration as his eyes fell upon Nova.

Tears were pricking at her eyes as she began her walk down the aisle. Her grip on her bouquet tightened as all eyes were drawn to her. Illuminated by the moon and strings of lights, she really was a vision in white.

And while everyone's gaze was on her, hers was only on him.

Chewie pulled her into one last hug, before he let her go to take her place before her fiancé – very soon to be husband.

Nova's smile was relaxed and genuine. Unchallenged. She'd given up trying to hide it, especially because she was amused that Poe hadn't stopped staring at her in what she could only describe as a trance.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," he whispered back. "You look..."

"So do you."

Lando looked between them, smiling fondly before directing his attention to the small crowd – still standing as was the custom. "Please, be seated."

Everyone complied, placing themselves back on the benches.

"Friends. Family. We are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of Poe Dameron, and Nova Organa. Two people who have had anything but an easy time with managing a relationship and a war. By all accounts, it has been distracting, and at times infuriating to witness. But, by all accounts, there are no two people better suited for each other. And I think I speak for everyone here when I wish them a lifetime of well-deserved peace and happiness."

The couple exchanged another smile. At times, it had been just as infuriating to be a part of as it was to witness – probably more so.

Lando continued. "I believe you two said you'd prepare your own vows?"

They nodded, and Nova gently cleared her throat.

She'd put some thought into what she would say in the time it took to get ready, but that was as far as her preparations had gone. She trusted the words to come when she needed them. When they mattered most.

"Poe, when you met me, I was at the lowest point I will ever reach." She paused, pushing all thoughts of that time aside before continuing, a soft smile on her lips. "But then you sauntered into my life, confident as ever, and you gave me a second chance. Something I still question if I'm worthy of. You believed I could be better, and you never gave up on me. And I will spend the rest of my life repaying that. I will never give up on you; on us. I will love you 'til the stars grow cold, and I can't wait to see what our future holds."

She exhaled, blinking away a few stray tears. She bounced a little on the balls of her feet, casting a quick glance down to her boots before meeting Poe's eyes once more.

Poe smiled, sighing gently. It felt like his heart was beating out of his chest.

He too had put thought into what he would say – on and off since he had decided he was going to ask her to marry him. Somehow it had kept him sane, offering his mind a break from thinking about the war.

"Nova, you should really give yourself more credit. You are the most incredible woman I will ever meet, and I thank the stars every day that I get to wake up and call you mine. You are my spark of hope. The person who kept me fighting even when it seemed impossible. You are my home and my adventure. I will never stop loving you. In fact, I don't think I could even if I tried."

"All right," Lando said. "Can we have the rings?"

BB-8 rolled forward. Opening his multi-reader, he offered up the couple's wedding rings, beeping brightly.

"Thanks, buddy," Poe smiled, while Nova patted the droid's head fondly.

BB-8 bowed, retreating to sit beside Rey's ankles.

The couple returned to their position, though not before Nova handed her bouquet to Rey – during which the women exchanged expressions of joy.

"Nova Organa, do you take Poe Dameron to be your husband?"

"I do." Her voice was firm, unwavering as Poe placed the ring on her finger.

"Poe Dameron, do you take Nova Organa to be your wife?"

His voice was just as steady as he repeated the promise. "I do."

"I now pronounce you, husband and wife," Lando announced with a smile. "You may kiss the bride."

Amidst the cheers of their friends and family, Poe stepped forward to close the gap between him and Nova. His right hand cradled her face, while his left held her waist.

Nova's hands started on his shoulders, but swiftly moved up his neck to his face.

The kiss was soft and surprisingly careful for the two pilots. Slow moving – there was no need to rush – savouring every second. Wrapped in each other's embrace, it felt like they were the only two people in the galaxy.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Midnight was fast approaching, and so the party was starting to disperse. Only family and the closest friends remained. The others had either retreated to the cave for the bigger celebration or had called it a night and decided to sleep.

Nova was making the rounds, alone, through her friends. Her face was never without a smile, her voice never without a laugh. All unforced and genuine.

She had just concluded a conversation with Finn – recalling an early mission they had been on together – when she was approached by Kes.

"Welcome to the family, my dear." He beamed and opened his arms, inviting her into a hug.

Nova accepted the gesture, pairing it with an enthusiastic 'thank you'. She was still unsure of how to approach a conversation with him, feeling a little anxious at the whole idea. Fortunately, she didn't have to initiate one as Kes continued.

"You know I worked with your dad? Battle of Endor."

She nodded.

"And your mom and your uncle, they both worked with Shara, my late wife. I think they both had a soft spot for her. Don't blame them."

Her expression softened as she watched him become lost in his thoughts.

She didn't know much about Poe's mother, but what she did know, she liked and respected immensely. A fierce, bold pilot and incredibly kind, always putting others before herself. She had died when Poe was only eight years old.

He rarely mentioned her, and so Nova had never asked him much, sensing it was still a sensitive wound. But when he did talk, it was always fondly. Recalling memories of her teaching him how to pilot her old A-Wing.

"She would have loved you," Kes said.

She nodded, feeling any more words would be inappropriate.

Kes patted her shoulder, then turned, wandering back into the crowd silently – possibly to find Poe.

Nova sighed, his words weighing on her heart.

Her eyes scanned the forest before her, catching on something. Or rather, someone.

Three figures stood on the treeline. Their bodies were surrounded by light, subtle and ethereal.

Nova hesitantly approached. Not wanting to get her hopes up, she looked between the figures that were her family, now one with the force. "Is this real?"

Luke nodded. "No more illusions. Palpatine is gone, as is his hold on your mind. We're real."

She stifled a sob. All the cruel tricks the force had played on her mind, invaded her nightmares to keep her scared, had been Palpatine.

"He saw you as too weak to be turned but knew you could still be a threat."

Perhaps he hoped that if he manipulated her enough, she would take care of herself.

'And if that was the case, it damn near worked,' she thought bitterly.

"It's over now," Leia said. "You don't have to be scared anymore."

"It's not as simple as that."

"I know."

Her attention shifted to her brother. Her brown eyes burned with an untameable flame of emotion.

"Don't blame him, Nova," her mother gently said.

"Why not? He murdered millions. He killed my father. My friends. He tried to kill me. He imprisoned me and my husband and tortured us. Invaded our minds. Because of him, I had to go into exile for years! Because of him, I can't close my eyes without reliving some horror. Why shouldn't I blame him!"

She knew she was becoming hysterical. Years of trauma breaking free from her chest. She knew he couldn't solely be to blame for his evils, but after all that time, her memories could not be untwisted.

"One right cannot redeem all that wrong." She brought her glare to Ben, standing before his ghostly figure. "I'm glad you were able to find enough forgiveness for yourself, but don't expect any from me."

Ben nodded silently. Nothing he had to say would improve the situation, and so he kept it to himself. The least he could do was not ruin her wedding day by antagonising her further, even if it were to explain the rest of his story.

Nova spun on her heel and walked away, drying her eyes with a heavy sigh. She had no desire to confront the rest of her grief and anger with her family that night.

She almost screamed when she came face to face with Poe.

"Woah, hey. It's me. You're okay," he said soothingly, catching her by the arms. "What happened? You look shaken."

She shook her head, resting her hands on his forearms. "I'll tell you later, okay?"

"All right." He held her close, running a hand through her hair. He wanted to question her further – ever the concerned and compassionate partner – but ultimately knew better.

She would talk in her own time.

"Until then." He said. "Can I have this dance?"

Nova raised a bemused eyebrow. "There's no music."

"So? Who needs music?" His arms encircled her waist, guiding her to gently sway with him. "We've always danced to our own beat anyway."

Her arms travelled to wrap around his neck, and a soft smile graced her features once more. "That we have, my darling."

Cheek to cheek they swayed, away from any prying eyes. Not that it mattered to either of them if people were watching. It was a wedding tradition after all. Even if it hadn't been the most traditional event, some things had to be adhered to.


	63. Chapter 63

42 ABY

"Okay. You wanna tell me what all these do?"

A little hand reached out to point to the controls, accompanied by a little voice that listed carefully: "Sensors... landing... accel-erom-eter..."

"Yeah. What about this one?"

"Shields?"

"Yeah!" Poe beamed, squeezing the little girl close. "You'll be flying on your own in no time."

She giggled, wriggling in his lap to turn and look up at him with big, brown eyes. Her mother's eyes. "Can we go flying later? Pleease?"

"We'll see," he chuckled.

"Can I come too?" A second little voice piped up, very similar to the first.

"Of course you can." Poe frowned at where the voice had come from, turning to find his other daughter sitting on the wing of the ship. "Shara, what have I told you about going up there when I'm not looking?"

"Sorry, daddy..." she said, lowering her eyes to her lap. The old part she'd been levitating dropped delicately into her hands.

"I don't want you to fall and get hurt."

"I know..."

He sighed softly. He couldn't stay mad at either of them – a quality he often joked they'd inherited from their mother. From the moment they were born, he'd been wrapped around their little fists.

Another summer day on Yavin IV was drawing to a close. A gentle breeze blew through the jungle outside the small hanger, and the last afternoon shadows were creeping in. A very tranquil event.

"All right. Come on, you two. Let's go in."

"Aww." Both girls whined, disappointed by the day's end, as small children often are. Nevertheless, they didn't argue further, and began there descent back to the ground after their father.

Alizeh, the younger of the two, made it down first, still giggling happily. "Can I be a pilot like you and mommy when I grow up?"

"I don't see why not – woah!"

Shara had slipped on the ladder, barely managing to catch herself before Poe scooped her up in his arms. A mess of dark curls cascaded down to hide her as she laid her head against his shoulder. Little arms securely wrapped themselves around his neck.

"You okay there, baby?" He asked, brushing the curtains of her hair aside to reveal her face.

She looked a little woeful, but nodded. "I want to be a Jedi. Like aunty Rey."

"Then we can go on adventures together!" Alizeh squeaked delightedly. "Like mommy and aunty Rey!"

Her twin's enthusiasm brought a smile back to Shara's face.

The pair were thick as thieves. Had been since the moment they could talk. Always together, plotting little schemes or pretending to go on adventures in the edges of the jungle. Both fascinated by the stories their parents would tell of their missions – at least the ones they were old enough to hear.

Poe kissed Shara's forehead, and ruffled Alizeh's hair. "You two are gonna take the galaxy by storm."

The twins were the happiest accident to befall the couple, though of course they would never know it.

Nova had freaked when she first found out, leading to a day spent mostly on the floor of the 'fresher.

Poe hadn't left her side that entire time, holding her while she did her best to process all her thoughts and feelings. Unsurprisingly, he had been overjoyed with the news, but had kept calm as he talked everything over with his wife.

Of course, both were scared. They hadn't discussed the idea of becoming parents at length; something else had always come up to distract them.

Five years on, Nova was still questioning her abilities as a mother.

But together, she and Poe knew they could figure it out. It was just their next adventure together. 

And no one could love their daughters more than they did.

The pregnancy was far from easy, but Shara Eden and Alizeh Leia Dameron were born happy and healthy on a Yavinese spring evening. Two days late – which Poe always said was because they waited for him to come home from an assignment to the Core Worlds. Nova chose not to dispute it.

All twenty fingers and twenty toes.

They were fraternal twins, but shared the same fair skin and thick, dark curls.

Shara had inherited Poe's dark brown eyes, paired with a more feminine iteration of his nose and Nova's cheekbones. Alizeh had received the inverse: Nova's lighter eyes and nose, and Poe's cheekbones.

They were perfect, and their parents couldn't be prouder.

The familiar whirr of X-Wing engines stirring up the leaves and grass of the jungle reached the family, heralding the arrival of the two final members.

Poe smiled. "Mommy's back."

The easily identifiable black and green X-Wing was finishing its decent through the humid air of Yavin IV. The landing gear smoothly engaged as the engine powered down to silence, allowing for a safe and near perfect landing – which was to be expected.

"Ah! Wait!" Poe caught Alizeh before she could go running off. The canopy of Nova's ship was barely open.

Then, the woman herself appeared. Dressed is a dark, royal blue jumpsuit – clearly meant for a formal occasion. Her hair fell in its natural waves, still barely reaching her shoulders. She refused to let it grow any longer. The whole look was completed by one of Poe's jackets; he hadn't even noticed she'd borrowed it, but he had no complaints.

BB-8 dropped out of the ship's droid socket, beeping as cheerfully as ever.

"You too, buddy." Nova's eyes and voice were tired as she lowered herself down the ladder. A sentiment that was brushed aside to be replaced by a smile when she saw her daughters.

She crouched down to their level, letting them crash into her and wrap their little arms around her neck. A beautiful mess of dark hair and delighted giggles.

It had only been three days since they'd seen her, but at that age it felt like a lifetime.

"Aw, I missed you, girls." Nova sighed softly, feeling a sense of relief and comfort wash over her, knowing her children were safe and happy. "Did you have a good time with daddy? You didn't give him a hard time, did you?"

"No, they were perfect." Poe wore his signature, proud smirk as he reached them, BB-8 at his heels.

"Daddy's been teaching me to fly!" Alizeh exclaimed.

"Oh, has he?" Nova raised an eyebrow as she stood once more, one arm around Alizeh to keep her balanced on her hip. A feat that in a few months would probably be impossible for her.

"Just the basics," Poe assured her. Feeling Shara hugging his leg, he picked her up, letting her lean back into his shoulder. "You wanna tell mommy what you've been up to, baby?" he coaxed, to which she nodded.

"I've been lifting things. Like aunty Rey showed me," she said softly, her hands gripping her father's shirt. She was such a timid girl – much like her mother – compared to her twin who was as boisterous as their father.

Nova smiled kindly. "Do you want to show me later?"

Shara nodded again.

"Okay." She leaned over to kiss her cheek, then Alizeh's. "Why don't you two go and play with Beebee-Eight while I talk to daddy?"

The orange and white droid beeped encouragingly. Ever since the twins had been born, he'd had a sort of fascination with them. Wherever they were, he wouldn't be far away, keeping an eye on them, almost as if it was his duty.

He led them back towards the house, turning every now and then to check the girls were following.

And they were. Hand in hand as they skipped through the grass. Dark hair catching in the late afternoon breeze.

Nova watched them for a moment, leaning against her ship. Her chest swelled with an overwhelming love and pride. Never in a million years could she have thought she'd have this. A life truly her own, full of a different kind of adventures.

Poe too watched them, feeling just as proud as his wife. "We made them," he said, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"Yes, we did," she smiled. "We did good."

"Damn right we did." He kissed her temple, lingering there a moment before asking: "So, how was it?"

Nova sighed. A rather heavy and recognisable sound from their days in the Resistance. The sound of fatigue, annoyance, and the overall urge to hit or shoot something.

"That bad, huh?" he joked.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into it."

"It was to honour your mother. You'd hate yourself if you hadn't gone, and you know it."

"I know, I know. It wasn't that."

"Then what was it?"

Nova sighed again, turning her body to give him her full attention. "A bunch of the senators are still determined to vilify me for my brother's actions."

It was Poe's turn to sigh.

Some systems were still trying to recover from the devastation of the First Order and were looking to place blame. Since they couldn't persecute a dead man, they seemed to have unanimously turned on Nova, looking for any excuse to remind her of the evils of her family and make her pay for their mistakes.

Many of them still weren't over the revelation that Leia was the daughter of Darth Vader, let alone that Nova was his granddaughter. And that she was Kylo Ren's sister.

Some even blamed her for his rise to power, believing that she should have stopped him. Those people were particularly ignorant; it was a mystery how they had any power in the senate.

"It's not like I was among the people who fought against him to liberate their systems," Nova hissed, only one step away from actually spitting. "I'm not asking that they sing my praises, only that they appreciate what I did and realise I am neither my brother or grandfather."

"Okay, okay." Poe said soothingly, pulling her into a hug.

"Is it too late to go back into political assassination?" she muttered into his shirt.

He chuckled at her dramatics. "Yes."

She sighed for a third time. "Kriff."

"Uh, language."

"I was quiet."

"For once," he smirked suggestively.

"Shut up." She smacked his chest, finally breaking back into a small smile.

Poe matched her expression, finally moving to capture her lips in a quick kiss. One kiss became two, two became three. And soon enough, she'd pulled him into something sweet, gentle and above all loving.

A picture-perfect representation of heroes finding a life after war.

But it was never that simple.

The odd argument still took place, always away from the eyes and ears of their daughters.

While Nova's nightmares were now few and far between, when they did hit, they hit hard. She was still prone to waking up in a cold sweat, her throat raw from a scream. Chest tight and eyes somehow both wet and dry.

Poe too was far from immune. He still did his best to act like he wasn't going through hell, but his tired eyes, haunted expressions and the way his body would involuntarily tense with some dark memory betrayed him.

And through it all, they still had each other's backs. Never letting the other face their demons alone. They were as devoted to each other as they had been the day they married.

And now they were devoted to their daughters too. The daughters' whose future they had fought for, even if they hadn't known or even dreamed it at the time.

The moment ended, and the couple broke apart, smiling a little brighter.

Each wrapped one arm around the other's waist, and together they turned towards their home, preparing to call their children in for the evening.

They had come into the war strong but alone. Misfits united by the common goal of making a difference. But in the heat of battle, something unexpected had been forged and found. Love, trust, and respect. And so, they had come out of the flames together and stronger than before.

For their minds and hearts were strong.

Strong like stars with hearts of kyber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END.


End file.
